


Shorts to Keep me Writing

by Judayre



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Multi, Multiple Universes, Shorts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-30
Updated: 2016-08-10
Packaged: 2017-12-30 22:54:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 362
Words: 95,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Judayre/pseuds/Judayre
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shorts from prompts lists that are part of my different major writings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Immortal - Line of Durin

**Author's Note:**

> I need help sometimes making sure I write every day. So this is my solution. I took the prompts from several lists of prompts and combined them into one list. In the morning, I will roll a d10 to choose from the day's list of 9 prompts (0 means I reroll).
> 
> I also roll a d6 to choose what story the prompt will go to:  
> 1\. Life Debt  
> 2\. Line of Durin  
> 3\. Boarding  
> 4\. Modern AU  
> 5\. Zoo AU  
> 6\. An un posted WIP I've been developing since June
> 
> The chapter titles will give prompt and story to make it easy to skip ones you're not interested in. I have enough to take me most of the way through December, but this is not meant to replace my regular writing. It's a way to get me started thinking about something to get me writing and my hope is that it will get me to work on things more than I have been.
> 
> If you have a word or phrase you'd like me to consider as a prompt, feel free to give it to me! I will use prompts given by readers ahead of my lists.
> 
>  **Warning!** First chapter contains character death.

Óin was old, gnarled, and more than half deaf when Legolas first met him. Still, it was a surprise to the Elf to be informed - more than thirty years later - that the Dwarf was dead.

He went to the funeral, of course. The Greenwood had to send someone. Óin was a hero to the people of Erebor and related to the royal family. But he was also Legolas' friend, and he wouldn't let there be any other emissary.

The deceased looked the same as Legolas remembered him in life, and the Elf's brow wrinkled while he tried to understand this thing called death. But as he looked around at the other mourners, signs of age caught his eye.

Bifur's hair was almost completely white.

Thorin had gone from thin traceries of silver to wide veins of the same.

Kíli - his friend Kíli who had a been a laughing, carefree youth when they met - had laugh lines around his eyes and signs of wear in his face.

That was the first day he understood the differences between Elves and Dwarves. Losing Thorin was a certainty and perhaps not far in the future. Losing Kíli and Gimli was a certainty. The tiny princes and princesses who he had come to rejoice in when they were born were standing on their own next to their parents. And they would grow up, have their own children, age, and die while Legolas was still a youth by his people's standards.

That was the first day Legolas understood what it meant to be immortal in a world full of mortality.


	2. Powder - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dís contemplates how children grow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The bad news: I didn't actually write yesterday.  
> The good news: I did a whole lot of plotting for Boarding, so I should be able to get through a lot of the next chapter today!
> 
> Powder is a really hard prompt! I promise not all of these will be sad/bittersweet.

Dís had no daughters, only her sweet pair of trouble. So she didn't think to wonder why Calcedony always smelled so fresh and sweet. It must just have been the difference between girls and boys.

She found out differently one day when she came upon Bell finishing the baby's bath and patting a fine, white powder on her.

"It's talc," the Hobbit said when asked. Dís' confusion must have been evident, because she continued. "We use it for babies. It helps dry them and keep their skin smooth."

It was a thorough explanation and Dís didn't think of it again. When the twins smelled soft like their sister, she didn't wonder at it.

Nothing could have prepared her to bet the one to help her niece learn about more adult powders. The door to Thorin and Bell's room was open, and she went in fearing to see one of her nieces in tears. Instead, Calce was sitting at her mother's vanity, looking like a dust storm had coated her face and still holding the powder brush.

"What are you doing?" Dís demanded, trying to keep the amusement out of her voice.

"The other girls wear color," Calce said, and despite her pout, she sounded more adult than a girl her age should. Hadn't it been yesterday that Dís helped change her diapers?

She sat next to her, wiping at her face with a soft cloth and wishing Bell were there. Calce was the oldest and really it was Bell's privilege to do this. But the only one there was Dís.

She took the brush from Calce's hand and looked over Bell's collection of make up. "Let me show you."


	3. Funeral - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erebor has many dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....one of these days I won't roll a depressing prompt. No new deaths in this chapter. Only old ones.
> 
> I think I'll look at the LoD side prompts to work on this afternoon.

Dwarves were laid to rest in the rock of their homes, but it had been more than a century since the Dwarves of Erebor had truly had a home. They had many dead, though.

Thousands had been lost in the first attack of the dragon and its aftermath. Near a quarter of their population gone in fire or succumbing to dire injury. Among the first had been the queen, and as soon as they were settled into a safe location Thorin had crept as close as he dared to the mountain and picked a smooth, palm sized stone out of the rubble of a broken statue.

It was, he said when asked, to remember his mother by. A stone from the place she died since he couldn't place her among the stones of her home. Word of it spread quickly, whispered from one to another, and many others braved the mountain for their beloved departed.

The slopes of the Misty Mountains were stripped almost bare when Azanulbizar decimated an already hurting population. Two rough, broken stones were nestled into Thorin's pack, soon planed smooth and carved with the names Frerin and Thrór. They clicked against the Erebor stone and in the night, he and Dís sometimes took them out and held them close.

Thorin knew that Balin had a stone that he kept in an inner pocket in memory of Fundin - someplace safe, so it would never be lost. Glóin had left the memorials for his parents with Hida in Ered Luin, just as Thorin had left the ones he carried with Dís. Even Dori had one - a memory of the father who never left the mountain.

They waited for spring, for the Dwarves to get home from Ered Luin, and then there was a day of mourning. The catacombs filled with the 2400 Dwarves returned to Erebor - not much more than what they had lost in those first, hard days. And in a ceremony that was about family and made them all family, the dead of Erebor returned home as well.


	4. Spirit - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwalin can understand a person by looking in their eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Later than usual today. That's because it's the weekend! Oh yeah! I got to sleep in to almost 8! (Don't laugh. Usually I'm up at 5. This is sleeping in.)
> 
> I did get a bunch of writing done yesterday, but I didn't finish, so still working on Line of Durin sides today.

A person's spirit was the center of his being - the marks of hammer and chisel that carved his heart, the glint of forge fire visible through his eyes. And like a fire, a spirit could be doused, and like a stone, a spirit could be broken. A spirit was the most important thing a person had, one that was often hidden deep and shown to few.

It was one of the few things Dwalin had grown to love about being a warrior. In the middle of a fight, with all senses heightened and everything put on the line, there was no energy left to hide. Over the years he had learned to recognize and read a spirit in the middle of battle.

Walking into the lodging house in the middle of the day, he wasn't expecting a battle to show him the central spark of the landlady. But the fear in her eyes when she saw him crumbled any walls she might usually have had, and he saw a spirit with a raw, open wound trying desperately to protect itself.

Her bravery was beautiful - the fire that led her to confront him through her fear. He could see it in her eyes and hear it in the thump of her heart, but she stood unwavering, her spirit strong even in distress. He could have fallen in love with her right there; could have spent his life repairing her spirit like he repaired weapons and armor.

But then there were footsteps, unmistakably Thorin. And she couldn't hide the relief she felt as he grew closer. And Dwalin saw in her eyes the way the glow of her fire brightened as his cousin grew closer, and knew that someone else was already patching the broken, strong spirit in front of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I joked in the one chapter of "Growing up in Bree" that Dwalin's type is "well covered and fussy." Yeah. Bell is so his type. If he hadn't recognized that Thorin had dibs, he so would have tried to court her.


	5. Choose - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori addresses the Dragon Generation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My d6 seems to think that the only numbers on it are 2 and 3. What the hell? I love Line of Durin and Boarding, but really! There are 4 other choices!
> 
> Once again, I wrote yesterday but not enough to finish. I thought that weekend would mean more writing time. But Saturday is chores day, so no. I should hopefully finish the thing I've been working on today.

"We are the Dragon Generation.

"You all know what that means. We are the cunning, greedy, useless drains on society. We were the reason a dragon came to Erebor and stole it. Like calls to like, and we do nothing but want more.

"We take and never give; the coin from honest hands, the food from starving fingers, the clothes from ragged backs.

"You've all heard that. They told us as children that we had no worth. We were beaten by our parents for being hungry, neglected by brothers and sisters because they didn't want to share, ignored by a society that had little and didn't think children should get it.

"You know what it means to be one of the Dragon Generation. We are thieves and murderers. No good will ever come of us, and we will die alone and unmourned.

"Let me tell you another thing being a dragon can mean.

"We are cunning, yes. We can get in and out of a locked room, taking the most valuable thing, and leave no sign. We are strong. We can get through starving winters and blazing summers. We can find paths no one else can. And far from being self centered, we care for each other as if we were all family. The family we never really had.

"We are the Dragon Generation!

"And right now, we have an offer from the king. We can go places no one else can. Can understand things no one else can. Can speak to people no one else can. And we, scorned and outcast, can become central in protecting all of our people.

"We have been given a choice. Are we what others have said? Or are we more?

"Choose."


	6. Believable - Drengur

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori's life after the quest has changed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drengur is the working title of the work in progress. It is not a happy place, which is one of the reasons I haven't written it yet. I'm not sure I'm good enough.
> 
> Nori is outside the main plot of the story, at least the beginning that's been plotted out, so I don't think I'm giving much away here.
> 
> Anyone interested in helping me work on the second half of the plot, please send an email and I'll share out the google doc it's in. Don't worry about people getting your email! You can put it in a comment and then delete the comment or edit the email out. I'll still get it, but no one else will see.
> 
> I will be working on rewriting the beginning of the draft chapter of Drengur today, so don't expect much else posted.

Nori had learned a lot on the quest. Dwalin had drilled his knife and staff fighting, showing him things he'd never seen before. Balin knew all the road signs, and Nori had been guessing at some of them for years. Bifur and Bofur scoffed at the aimless whittling he did to keep his hands busy until he could actually make a recognizable shape. And Glóin, who somehow knew the moment a single copper coin went missing, taught him about money.

It had been fun. He hadn't expected that. And when everything went wrong, as it had been bound to (although somewhere on the way even Nori had lost track of that), that made it all the worse.

He hadn't actually been to Erebor in years. Gifts to his brothers and friends were sent through intermediaries. So were letters, although those were only written to Dori and in five different codes they'd made up when they were young so they would pass any inspection.

Nori did what he always did. He traveled and stole. But he was better at it now. All the things the others had taught him came in handy. He could set up a market table for toys and no one would suspect a thing while he sized up his marks and was shown exactly where they kept their money and how much of it they had.

A practiced sincere smile. Decent wooden toys and house goods at good prices. Knowledge of everywhere money could be hidden. All a disguise, but good enough to keep him free and out of Erebor's eye. All a disguise, but good enough to fool anyone.

Some days even himself.


	7. Speak - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bofur is a minor and can't make decisions, even though he's Bifur's next of kin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is something of a long short. I was not expecting that.
> 
> Expect some Dwalin/Nori later. It might be a bit smutty, but I'm hoping to allude to the smut without having to write it.

"How old are you?"

Bofur shifted uneasily in the uncomfortable office chair. "Fifteen."

The doctor gave him an annoyed look. "I need to speak with an adult. Is there a wife? Parent? Sibling?"

Bofur shook his head at each word, feeling his heart jump into his throat. "No, it's just us and Bom, and he's younger."

"No one?"

"It's just us and Bif is our guardian. Please, how is he? Can we see him?"

The doctor sighed and put his papers aside. "This is most irregular. I need an adult capable of making decisions, not a boy barely old enough to drive." He got up to leave the room and Bofur shot to his feet.

"Can we see him?" he begged again, but there was no answer.

No spoken answer, but it was an unspoken no. The nurse were sympathetic and let the teens know their cousin was alive and breathing on his own, but they couldn't say anything else, and the pair weren't allowed in the hospital room.

They stayed three days in the lobby. They slept in chairs leaning against each other. They drank at the fountain and ate snacks they could get for a quarter at the vending machine. Once a day, one of the nicer nurses would bring them soup from the cafeteria. And they kept begging for information they weren't given and visits they weren't allowed.

Others came and went and the boys didn't pay attention to them, each caught in his or her own grief. At the end of the third day, a man came in and immediately caught Bofur's attention. He looked like an older Bifur, and the teen blinked sleep clouded eyes to look again.

"Mr. Sadaf?"

The doctor who wouldn't tell him anything was there. It didn't mean anything, Bofur told himself. He must have lots of patients. He couldn't get his hopes up.

The newcomer inclined his head so the doctor continued. "It's about your grandson."

"I only have granddaughters. You must have the wrong person."

"Your grandson Bifur Carys," the doctor specified. "He has a been in a comatose state for the last four days and has insufficient insurance. We need instructions on how to continue."

Bofur's breath caught in his throat and he could see the man in front of him pause and waver. But he was silent for so long that even the doctor started to look impatient.

"Say something!" Bofur demanded, hands balling into fists.

The man startled and looked over at the pair of them. Then he looked back to the doctor, eyes hardened. "I only have granddaughters," he repeated firmly. "You have the wrong person."

And then he left without another word or even a glance in their direction. And the doctor gave a frustrated sigh and left as well. And Bofur could finally take no more and broke down into tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of decisions need to be made after an accident like Bifur's. And he has no one to make them for him, which means he was probably discharged as soon as he woke up and was able to be discharged. And then it was months before he could see another doctor.
> 
> That family just has a bum deal at life.


	8. Nostalgia - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin knows the past wasn't perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I complain that the d6 is focused on 2 and 3, so what does it do? It gives me 4 two days in a row. I suppose this is what I get for complaining.
> 
> Thorin hasn't gotten too much screen time in the modern AU, so here he is.

Being at Gimli's game - the last football gme of his senior year - made Thorin think about when he was the one out on the field.

He had been the captain that final year, and everything was perfect in his memory. Frerin was still alive. Dwalin hadn't sold himself short by going to work straight out of school. Dís hadn't gotten herself pregnant before graduating high school.

That last year of high school was magical in his memory. His grades were good. His SAT scores were good. He got into the college he wanted. He interned with his father, but didn't have to worry about all the responsibilities of being a lawyer. He was at the top of the world, and everyone else agreed with him.

Of course he knew it hadn't been perfect. Frerin had already started taking the risks that would kill him in the end. Dís had already met her boyfriend, and from what she shouted at him when they fought about it later, she had already started having sex. Dwalin had already made his plans to work in construction, even if he never did explain why he did it. His father had already had one stroke, although he had hidden it from his children.

But watching Gimli and his teammates pound each other on he he back for their victory, Thorin remembered what it felt like to be eighteen. And in his memory, the world was perfect.


	9. String - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bifur's wife was a weaver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why is everything depressing or bittersweet? I figured "string. We'll have some silly fun bow competition." And then Bifur informed me that no. He wanted a chance to think about his wife. And who am I to argue with that?

Bifur followed the sound until he got to weaver's row. It was a sound he hadn't heard in decades, and he closed his eyes and just listened.

The first thing Ríl made him was a coat he wore until it was only good for rags. She told him later, in bed, that she had put a spell into it to make her his. He had laughed and replied that she hadn't needed a spell for that.

Ríl's hands were always moving. If he got up from the table, he would come back to find pieces of his salad woven together. And he rarely threw out the ragged edges of leather when he cut the pieces he needed. Ríl would weave or braid them together and make belts and wrist guards and anything she could think of.

He spent hours listening to the click of the looms and the chatter of the weavers, thinking of the things Ríl had made. The things that were lost to almost a century of time but that he could picture in his mind as if he had seen them yesterday. It was the first time he'd remembered them since he lost her. The first time in far too long that he could think of her without pain.

And he was content to while away his hours in a place where he could imagine the ring of her laughter and the strength of her hands.


	10. Stranger - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hobbits have a lot of experience with strangers.

There were constantly visitors in and out of the Shire. By the time they were adults, many Hobbits hardly noticed them anymore, except to keep a wary eye on children when they were near.

Most of them were Men. Bilbo had been terrified of them the first time he saw one. They were far too big, hairy, broad. They had deep voices and expressions he couldn't read. And they were enormous. He had screamed and hid behind his mother, and she explained to him that he had to be polite to the visitors.

Still, when Men were around, Bilbo stayed in a defensible position.

Then there were Elves. They didn't come in the numbers that Men did and rarely interacted with the Hobbits. Still, Bilbo liked them better. They looked almost like Hobbits that had been stretched out with their smooth cheeks and pointed ears. And they were skinny, as if all the material that should have been in their stomachs had been used to make them so tall. They mostly talked to each other in Sindarin, and Bilbo hid as close as possible so he could try and learn it.

Rarest of all were the Dwarves. Bilbo always liked Dwarves, even after hearing the stories. They were hard and hairy like Men, but they were the right size. He could still read expressions through their beards.

And unlike the distant Elves and the Men who wanted to talk to his father, Dwarves always seemed to have time for a child. They would give him a treat or a toy and hunker down to his level and talk. And they talked to him like he was an adult himself. Talking to Dwarves always made Bilbo walk tall. He snuck out some nights to sit with them, and he heard their songs and stories with wide, trusting eyes.

But when his father sickened, Bilbo turned away from childish fancies. And over the years, he forgot what he had learned listening to Elves and Dwarves. And there were so many visitors that he couldn't remember the voices of those who had befriended a small, foreign child. And when, years later, he played host to thirteen Dwarves and then ran off with them, even the ones who might have looked familiar were strangers.


	11. Broken - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone hurts.

Dori had to work so hard that it wasn't until his brothers were more than half grown that he was able to have something of his own that wasn't faded and tattered.

Nori was a thief because it was the only way someone young could help his family.

Ori was content to get small tuitions for teaching letters when he should have been sought out by the wealthiest of the wealth to write their love letters and accounts.

Bifur lived his life as a curiosity, physically separated from others by his injury and emotionally separated from them by the damage it had done.

Bofur spent a lot of time away from the family he loved in order to help them, working his fingers to the bone and keeping nothing for himself.

Bombur fed everyone he loved, and gave away more than he should have to others, because he knew what it was to be hungry and needed to know that no one would be again.

Bell kept everyone at arm's length because she didn't know how to let them in anymore.

Thorin took all the responsibility for all the Dwarves of Erebor, every loss a knife to his heart, every humiliation a punch to his gut.

Dís had endured the loss of everything she held dear and clung ruthlessly to what she had left.

Fíli had grown up too fast, the man of the house in single digits when his father died, and more mature than anyone wanted him to be.

Kíli acted the child, except when he thought others weren't looking, pretending to be less than he was so he could hold and comfort the ones he loved in ways they wouldn't accept otherwise.

Dwalin endured the mockery of those who judged him on his appearance, never saying a word in his own defense while he spun copper wire into the finest filigree, allowing them to think someone else had done it and he couldn't be trusted with anything but swords.

So many people broken in their hearts. But broken things could be mended. Dori and Nori picked through pieces of broken pottery - things Dori had never thrown away, because he couldn't afford to throw things away - and used stolen silver to patch pieces of different cups and bowls together into something new. Something that was beautiful for the combination of colors and the way that the broken pieces fit together.

The same way that broken people could find each other and fit together to make a new kind of family and be beautiful together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think that this is true for everyone, really. We all have chips and broken edges, but we can find others who have complementary breaks and heal each other. No person is an island, and it's okay to need other people.
> 
> [This](http://25.media.tumblr.com/4bc5cec2932aa33ff44df75039a910d9/tumblr_mvpn69MDGi1rlbni6o1_500.jpg) is the Japanese beauty ideal being shown in this piece. It is one that I use for exile and post-exile Erebor a lot.
> 
> Didn't finish what I was working on yesterday, so I will be continuing that as I have time (Saturday is chores day).


	12. Contempt - Drengur

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwalin is not what he once was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is hard coming up with shorts for this story that don't completely spoil the plot. At the same time, very very helpful for the development I need to work on.
> 
> Dwalin, in this story, is one of five guard captains that are all answerable to a top commander.
> 
> I will be working on this and having a visit with my sister today, so don't expect anything else posted.

Dwalin wasn't used to being looked down on by other Dwarves. He was from a high ranked family, was educated, had stood near their kings in exile, was large and an impressively good warrior. Dwarves didn't show him disrespect.

That had changed. Though he was still a warrior and still of Durin's line, so much was veiled behind backhanded compliments. Despite how far they had fallen - and Durin's line had far to fall - none would openly deride the oldest father of the Dwarves.

Those who worked under him in the guard were often slow to obey or salute. And the commander - the one Dwalin had to obey - loved showing that he had control of a famous noble. All Dwalin could do was grit his teeth and obey. If he left the guard the whole thing would fall to corruption, worse than the part of it that already thought the law was a guideline that only the poor needed to obey.

And so Dwalin son of Fundin, proud warrior of a proud warrior line, kept his own council and fought an uphill battle to ensure his own recruits understood that their job was to the law and the people and not to the ones paying them.


	13. Voice - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bifur loves Kíli's voice all through his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warning!** character death
> 
> I probably shouldn't write this stuff at work. I want to cry.

Kíli's first words were in Khuzdul, the piping toddler's voice slurring the sounds into one another in ways that weren't supposed to happen in the sacred language. But he didn't know that, and Bifur couldn't tell him. He just listened to his boy's laughter and the high, lisping voice stumbling over the gutturals and rolls of Khuzdul.

He learned Westron soon enough, and the sounds of that rolled off his tongue like honey. Someone who had first learned the rocky sounds of Khuzdul couldn't be anything but musical when learning the smoother sounds of Westron. And Kíli spoke in a high sing song, turning simple words into music and finding ways to harmonize with himself. Bifur followed him around, wishing he could be part of his sweet boy's laughter, but though he could modulate his volume, music was beyond him.

It seemed before Bifur could blink that Kíli's voice broke and lowered toward his adult tones. He didn't sing as much as he had, but he couldn't keep himself away from music. He sang with Bofur, learning to use his new voice. And everything he said still had a quality that made people listen. He was no longer Bifur's baby boy, but he hung on his Da as much as ever.

Sharing could be difficult. Obviously, Kíli had always been shared with Bofur and Bombur, but it was different in Erebor. The music of his laugh had to be shared with so many more. But he always came home at night, and Bifur cherished the fact that he was still home for his only living son.

There were times a person was so happy that he couldn't be anything but silent. Bifur had never thought to see that in his boisterous Kíli, but when Onur was born everything choked in his throat. He turned luminous eyes on his Da, and it was more eloquent than words.

One thing he didn't like to hear was tears in his beloved son's voice. The sound of them jangled discordantly, and Bifur tried to raise a hand and smooth them away as he had when Kíli had been a baby, but everything seemed heavy and he was too tired to move. Kíli was a man and would be able to comfort himself until after Bifur slept. He was so tired. He murmured something, he wasn't sure what, and went to sleep one last time with his Kíli's voice in his ears.


	14. Tease - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwalin learns his lesson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posted very early, because I finally remembered to put my sheet music in my book bag. The part of the morning usually dedicated to writing the daily short will be dedicated to serenading the cleaning ladies! Woohoo!
> 
> Also, anyone interesting in the wonderful place I work and the amazing stuff we do, here's a link: http://www.learntheaddress.org/. We are the inspiration for this project and if you click on the "about the PBS film" link you can see some of the footage and hear about us. (All filming was done last year, so I am not in this.)

It was two days before Bilbo saw Dwalin on returning to the mountain. When he finally did, it was a chance encounter in the hall, and he wasn't sure why Dwalin was grinning the way he was.

"Welcome home, Burglar. Need me to get you anything? Cushion?"

Bilbo gave a small sigh. Of course it was sexual teasing. He started to turn away silently, but then he remembered everything Dís had taught him about what his position meant. So he snuck glances either way to ensure they were alone, and turned back, squaring his shoulders.

"I'm not the one in need of a cushion, thank you," he said, watching the Dwarf's eyes slowly widen. And then he smiled sweetly. "Would you like some of the same?"

Dwalin beat a hasty retreat, and it was a long time before he joked about Bilbo and Thorin's sex life again.


	15. Haunted - Zoo AU

His father's cough kept waking him; the deep, wracking cough that had recently started bringing up blood. It was frightening - Bungo Baggins had always been steady and secure. But then his weight had dropped precipitously and the cough he'd always had just grew worse and worse, and there was nothing they could to for it.

Nothing they could do, and in the end....

Bilbo's eyes shot open and the sound of coughing disappeared. Now there was the muffled sound of his mother's tears. She had never cried all through his father's long illness. It was only after he was gone that she gave in to the choking despair.

Bilbo threw off his blankets, shivering slightly in the cold and more at the thought of the phantom that had woken him. But his mother needed him, so he couldn't totally feel bad. And if his father's ghost was in the house with them, he was glad it had alerted him to the need.

It wasn't until he reached his parents' door, open and dark, that he remembered she was gone too. And as the sound of her tears faded into the darkness, he clung to the door jamb, and the sound of his breathing was suddenly louder in the silent, empty home than the worst of the coughs.


	16. Guess - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo has presents for his friends when he returns from the Shire. They aren't quite sure how presents work.

It was the most underwhelming response to the offer of presents he had ever seen. The company was just milling around uncertainly, brows drawn in confusion.

"You brought us presents, led?" Balin asked, head cocked to one side.

"Yes!" he answered. "What's so hard to understand?"

"But what did you get?" Ori asked from his place between Fíli and Kíli. The princes, despite having already gotten their presents, looked on eagerly.

Bilbo opened his mouth to reply, then thought about it and smiled. "Guess," he prompted, as his mother always had when she had a gift for him.

"Clothes?" Ori asked uncertainly.

Bilbo frowned. "You can get your own clothes. I don't even properly know your sizes!"

"Food?" Bombur asked, sounding unsure and hopeful at once.

"Food doesn't travel well across the mountains."

"Tools?" Glóin this time, just as out of his depth as the others.

"I don't know anything about the tools you need. That wouldn't be a good present."

Bifur said something and Bofur translated. "Plants?"

"Those don't travel well either. I thought I could get from Dale to start a garden."

"Then what, Bilbo?" Dori demanded. "There's nothing else we need!"

That stopped him. Need. They'd been poor for so long that they didn't understand that a gift wasn't supposed to be practical. He tried to put his arms around the whole group at once. "If I gave you something you need, it wouldn't be a gift."

And with no further games, he gave them their presents.


	17. Caring - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli understands that love is shown in attention.

From rather young, Kíli recognized that some of his classmates didn't have people coming to games and concerts while others did.

His friend Legolas, for example. Legolas' father was a real estate giant. He traveled all over the country, buying and selling property and overseeing his rentals. Even when he was home, he rarely came out of his office.

And Legolas' mother was involved in social justice, like Kíli's own mother. They actual worked together often. But Legolas had confided once that it seemed like the people helped by her organizations meant more to his mother than he did.

They were on the tennis and archery teams together in high school, and had continued with both in college. And though neither of his parents often came to matches, Legolas still scanned the crowd every single time. Kíli hated watching the way he deflated when they weren't there.

He hadn't even had to ask his family to cheer for Legolas as well. Dís made sure she had the time to come to every match, no matter what was going on, and Fíli came with her nine times out of ten. His cousins were usually there: Dwalin giving his loud, bull roar for every point scored while Balin shouted encouragement after near misses, Óin and Glóin cheering indiscriminately, Hida reminding little Leda not to scream every time she saw her cousin, Gimli heckling the opponents. Uncle Thorin came as often as he could, and if he wasn't as loud as the rest the proud smile he gave Kíli at the end of a good match was worth more.

Even his father came frequently with his new wife and Kíli's little half sister.

No one needed to tell him he was lucky in his family. Kíli had always known.


	18. Fatality - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin has a flashback.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DEAR GOD, PROMPTS, WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME?????
> 
> **Warning!** PTSD flashback, flashback to death

"Now I'm dead."

Thorin froze at the words. The gleeful cheering started as he slowly turned to see his older nephew lying on the ground with his tongue poking out of his mouth. His play sword was on the ground next to him and his younger brother was jumping excitedly around, waving his own.

Thorin wasn't even aware he had moved until he was kneeling on the ground with Fíli cradled carefully in shaking arms. Wide blue eyes stared up at him and Thorin struggled to remind himself they were only playing a children's game.

But all he could think of was Azanulbizar and finding Frerin, just strong enough to grip his hand and whisper "I'm dead, Thorin" through his tears before his words were true.

And now Fíli looked scared and there were tears on his face. He reached out a hand to pat Thorin's face, and that was when he realized the tears were his own.

"I'm sorry, Uncle! I won't! I won't!"

He almost asked what Fíli wouldn't do, but he heard his own voice whispering through tears "don't die. Please don't die."

He pulled Fíli tight, and Kíli threw himself in his uncle's arms as well, both boys in tears. He felt a monster for ruining the joy of their game, but all he could do was hold them both tight and continue his whispered words as he had then.

"Don't die. Please, Frerin, don't die. Don't leave me. Please."


	19. Whispered - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bell really should have known before Gandalf let the cat out of the bag.

Bell was surprised at learning her Thorin was a king, but in retrospect she really shouldn't have been. The signs had always been there, but she had chosen to not think on them.

Bell had known many traveling workers, her friend Bofur not the least among them, and Thorin was well learned. He was well spoken and he read, a thing that many tradesmen didn't know how to do. And when he gave advice it was always considered and practical. Even the Men of Bree listened to him, but the Dwarves hung onto his words as if they were gold.

Then there was the way the Dwarves handled her children. She knew enough of Dwarves to know they thought any child a blessing, but that didn't explain the level to which they doted on Calce and the boys, or the indulgent pleasure that met Amber's warrior spirit. But everywhere they went, the Dwarves of Bree had a "little something" for a good lad or lass.

And the title she had been given. She had assumed at first that it was a Khuzdul word for mistress or a word for a landlady. But as she learned the language she came to realize they were calling her queen. "Me malkhá," the roomers called her with a bow. "Ur skhona malkhá," Dwarves on the street murmured as she went by.

She had convinced herself that it was because she was the landlady, ignoring that it didn't explain why Ori called her that. In fact, she heard the word whispered from everyone except Dís and Thorin. Fíli and Kíli would tease her with it, and even Dwalin would acknowledge her requests with a bow and a murmured "malkhá," he voice rumbling coarse as gravel.

She should have known. But at least she had time to get used to the idea while they traveled instead of having to turn and face everyone she knew with the new knowledge immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Khuzdul:  
> Malkhá - queen  
> Me malkhá - my queen  
> Ur skhona malkhá - our beautiful queen


	20. Cry - Drengur

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crying is useless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've mentioned this isn't a pleasant AU, right?

Crying was useless. Nori had always told him that, but as a child he couldn't help it. But Ori was adult now, tried in battle, and he could control himself. Crying was useless.

He didn't cry when guards pushed people around in the street. He helped them up and sometimes had scathing words for the bullying guard.

He didn't cry at trials where justice was obviously set to the side in favor of money. He payed bail when he could, and helped the convicted but innocent to escape from the mountain.

He didn't cry when children were left anonymously at the home he shared with Dori because taxes were too high and wages too low. He helped raise them, showering them with all the care his own family had given him.

He didn't cry when the library was raided and priceless old tomes were stolen by the guard. He worked with the other librarians to identify the most important ones and he spirited them away to safe nooks where no one could burn them.

He didn't cry when he was beaten for all he did. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction of breaking one of the heroes of Erebor.

Crying was useless and Ori refused to be useless.

But there were times he would sneak down into the catacombs and walk soundlessly through the vaults until he came to one quite recent and beautiful. And then he cried, because he had been useless, but he had not been the one to pay the price.


	21. Massage - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a day of diplomacy, Bilbo's whole body aches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly risqué. But only slightly.

Bilbo dropped into the chair before the fire with a wince, both hands moving back to rub ineffectually at his shoulders. It was only a moment before another pair, large and rough, moved his out of the way and dug into the muscles of his neck and upper back.

He groaned, head dropping forward. It hurt, but it was such a good pain. He knew that when Thorin was done he would be so loose he wouldn't want to move.

"And is this all that hurts?" Thorin asked, his deep voice helping to loosen Bilbo's muscles.

"I was in the saddle all day. My legs and bottom are just as--" His voice cut off with a squeak and he tensed again as Thorin scooped him out of the chair and deposited him on the bed.

Before he could protest being taken away from the warmth of the fire, Thorin was straddling his back and his wonderful, strong hands had resumed their work. They moved across his shoulders, then down his back and Bilbo buried his face in his arms and bit his lip at the pain being dug through.

But Thorin shifted and his hands worked into the ample flesh of Bilbo's bottom. He couldn't fight off the groan, and he didn't try to hide how Thorin's touch effected him. He tried to push up into the hands on him, but he was held very firmly down while Thorin continued all the way down his body, working out the kinks in each leg and foot.

He lay bonelessly after, breath still hitching as his nerves were chased by the phantom feeling of Thorin's fingers. He moaned once more, still aching but in a way that would fade and leave him more refreshed than sleep.

And Thorin took pity on him. He helped Bilbo to roll over and used his wonderful, clever hands for a completely different kind of massage.


	22. Rhythm - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The magic of music is passed on from one generation to the next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mentioned in chapter 3 (I think) that Thorin's harp came from his mother. The harp itself has no magic. What Bilbo saw came from Thorin and all the others on the vehicle of music.

"Do you hear the beat?"

"What beat?"

"The beat of your heart. When you play a spell, you must play to yourself. Even when you play just for joy, you should keep your rhythm in it. Listen."

"I don't hear anything."

"If you would stop squirming.... Fine. Listen to me."

A pause, and then music filled the tiny room. Through it came a vision of luxury in a mountain palace far away where a small, dark haired boy sat with his mother learning this very lesson.

"You never stop moving, my heart. You must have stillness to rule and to weave magic. Listen to me."

Within the vision came another vision. This time the room was cozy - small but well appointed. A young girl with a dulcimer sat at her grandmother's feet.

"You must have time for yourself, girl. Someone who only lives for others will never work magic through song. Listen to me."

Deeper still, to a natural cave where a girl approaching womanhood stood defiantly before a long bearded man. He was shaking his head.

"If you only think of yourself, you will never reach another's heart. Listen to me."

The plains under a dark sky, thick with smoke and noxious with the scent of burning. Two men, one young and one old, stood near each other.

"This isn't the place for this. You need peace to learn. But I will try. Listen to me."

A small room filled with instruments both whole and half made. A boy barely old enough to be called a boy and not a baby sat in his mother's lap.

"Your heart must be open and free. Listen to me."

The music stopped and the boy was back in the shabby room his uncle lived in. He blinked a few times, mind a whirl with everything he had seen and heard, layers and layers of a song that grew richer with each shade of vision, each different instrument and voice that joined in.

"Is that it?"

"No. I could play you back to our lord teaching our fathers. And one day you will play this to another and they will see this room today. Now, I will be silent because you must stop listening to me and start listening to yourself."


	23. Return - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What you remember is not always what remains.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Work has been pretty crazy this week, so I haven't gotten any other writing done. But Thanksgiving break starts after works gets out today, so hopefully....

Thorin had been to the Shire before, but never like this. They traveled in a pony cart with Calce sitting complacently in Bell's lap and the twins pestering I'm to sit on the ponies the whole way.

The place was a green, rolling paradise for those who grew things. And the tightness in his wife's shoulders told him that it hadn't kept any signs of that long ago winter where she lost everything.

There was almost a parade behind them as they approached Hobbiton. And before Thorin quite knew it was happening, Calce was thrust into his arms and Bell was racing down the road with the twins light footed behind her. He stared, but the ponies continued their stolid journey even with a lightened hand on the reins.

They reached a door that was painted deep blue and Thorin leapt from the cart because Bell was collapsed in a sobbing heap with the boys climbing on her and frantic. He knelt at her side and she threw herself into his arms.

"It was always green," she sobbed and for a moment he was confused because the land was as green as emeralds around him.

But then he realized she meant the door and he held her tighter. He imagined what he would feel seeing Erebor again after all those years, broken and empty and no longer his.

"Come," he said softly, kissing her head. "Let us go home."


	24. Hidden - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While hiding in the Shire, Dwalin and the princes meet a young Hobbit.

"Mr. Dwalin, why are we hiding?"

Dwalin looked over at the pair of boys sitting side by side across the fire from him. "It's after curfew. They've closed the borders."

There was a hum of thought. If their lives, the boys had traveled at many times including late into the evening. He could see them trying to reconcile that with the fact that they were now stuck until morning.

"What did you think of the Hobbits?" he asked.

"They're very strange," Kíli answered. "They don't have cars or TV or cell phones."

"No phones at all," Fíli put in. "They don't travel and they don't know about the outside world."

"No," Dwalin agreed. "The Rangers keep all of that from them."

"But that's not fair, Mr. Dwalin!"

He opened his mouth to answer Kíli's protest, but a rustle caught his attention. If there were still Rangers around to find them... If their conversation had been heard....

But all he grabbed was a small boy, all dark curls and bright eyes, whimpering with fright at his sudden capture. He released the boy, who seemed to regain his bravery because he didn't run away.

"What's a car?" he asked, voice high and piping.

"Something that exists outside the Shire," Dwalin answered before Fíli or Kíli could.

"Like war?"

The Dwarf got down on one knee to be closer to the boy's small height. "Sometimes used in war," he said seriously, "but many things are that weren't made for it."

The boy's eyes screwed up as he struggled with the idea, but after a long moment they cleared and he nodded. Dwalin smiled at him and mussed his hair.

"Now, young master--"

"Bilbo," the boy said, and Dwalin grinned wider at how serious he sounded. "My name is Bilbo."

"Well then, Bilbo, is there anything else I can help you with?"

He hesitated and bit his lip. "Do you know any stories?" he asked, fidgeting.

There was a whoop from across the fire. "Mr. Dwalin knows the _best_ stories!" Kíli exclaimed, reaching out for the small Hobbit.

Bilbo plopped himself fearlessly between the two larger boys, who cuddled him close between them. They all turned large, pleading eyes on Dwalin, who just chuckled and settled back into his place. And through the night, hidden in a wooded dip in the ground, Dwalin played storyteller and hoped they all understood the lessons of the stories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The intended lessons were mostly self care ones. If someone treats you badly, you don't have to put up with it. I think that was his intention in bringing Fíli and Kíli to the Shire in the first place. It was easy to see how the Hobbits really aren't treated fairly, and Dwalin's hope is that that understanding will translate to realizing that the exiled Dwarves aren't treated fairly either and that they shouldn't put up with it. It's very easy to ones who are born to mistreatment to just accept that as the way things are, and Dwalin is determined that his princes will not fall into that.


	25. Forget - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Memories are treacherous things.

There were things Thorin wanted to remember. The strength of his people in the face of adversity. The smile on his mother's face any time he played for her, even on her death bed. His nephews' laughter.

Then there were the things he wanted to forget. The screams of those caught in dragon fire. The stench of the fires after Azanulbizar. The horror on his sister's face when he told her that their brother was gone.

Dwarves were said to hoard as much as dragons were - many said that it was this tendency that brought Smaug in the first place. And Thorin hoarded his memories of the good times and his memories of strength and love.

And still, he sometimes found himself forgetting. What color were his mother's eyes? Were they blue like his own, or dark like Kíli's? How had Frerin braided his hair? Had Fíli really fit in one hand when he was born?

So he clung to everything even tighter, trying to imprint everything he loved so deeply into his memory that he could never forget.


	26. Breakable - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frodo breaks something and is afraid of the consequences.

The crash brought Bilbo running. Frodo stood in the living room, silent and stunned, surrounded by broken glass and water. He saw Bilbo and his face crumpled, tears flowing fast.

"I'm sorry!" he wailed. "I just wanted to see it again!"

Bilbo's heart dropped as he recognized the base of the snowglobe that had been his mother's. It was a souvenir from her honeymoon.

_He was five years old and sitting on his mother's lap. She shook the snowglobe and he watched the snow fall around the buildings. When he reached out she pulled it close so he couldn't touch it._

_"When you're older, Bilbo. It's breakable."_

He could see Frodo shifting to run and he shouted "No!"

The boy stilled, frightened and hiccuping with sobs. Heedless of the crunch of broken glass under his shoes, Bilbo crossed the room to Frodo and lifted him carefully out of the mess. He sat on the couch with the boy in his lap, and carefully checked his feet for cuts or slivers.

"I'm sorry," Frodo repeated in a whimper. "I'll go pack."

And glass wasn't the only breakable thing, Bilbo reflected, because he could feel his heart breaking. He hugged Frodo close. "I'm not going to send you away because of an accident," he said softly, kissing the dark curls. "I'm very sad, but so are you. We both know that things that break are gone."

He rocked the boy, who was still crying and had wrapped small arms around his neck. "But you are more precious than any thing, and I would be sadder if you were hurt. You must be careful, Frodo."

"I'm sorry," the boy whimpered again, but his main fear had been assuaged because he continued, "I'll be more careful, Daddy. I promise."

And Bilbo just continued to hold and comfort his boy, who was more precious and more breakable than the glass of the snowglobe.


	27. Cheating - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli thinks Bíli is cheating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, so innocuous prompts like "string" are depressing or bittersweet, but "cheating" is all fun and games.
> 
> I don't get it either.

"And that is how the Goblins were defeated and the game of golf invented at one stroke," Bilbo finished triumphantly.

"That's cheating, Bíli!" Kíli protested. "That's never true!"

"Like all of yours were?" Bilbo returned hotly.

"They were! Tell him, Mr. Dwalin!"

The older Dwarf nodded. "Aye, lad."

"Were you there for them yourself?" Bilbo asked, crossing his arms.

Dwalin laughed. "Of course not. Some of those are our oldest epics."

"Then they're as unprovable as mine! Old tales are three parts made up for every piece of truth in them, that's what I've always been told."

"Uncle," Kíli whined, turning to Thorin as the final judge.

But Thorin just smiled. "Dwalin, I think we have him training with the wrong brother. Balin would make a fine lawyer out of our Bíli."

Kíli pouted at the lack of support and turned back toward the table. "Fine, I'll tell one about uncle Thorin. The amount he blushes when he hears it, you know it's true."

Bilbo leaned forward, head in hands, to listen and thought about what story to tell next.


	28. Online - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin is shown something online that he hadn't seen before.

_I know you like classical music. If I like this there's no way you won't._

Thorin snorted. There was plenty of classical music that he loathed, but trying to tell Arathorn that was a battle he'd given up on long ago. Still, he clicked the link and went back to the brief he was writing. The opening strains of Pachelbel's Canon played on a single violin rang out and he stopped to smile. For once, his college friend had chosen well.

Thráin Durin had loved music. He made sure that all of his children played instruments and often drilled them himself on his favorites so that his children could play both with sheet music and by ear. Canon had been his absolute favorite. They had practiced together in secret until they could play it together - piano, clarinet, and cello - tone perfect. It was still one of Thorin's proudest memories.

He hummed along with the song that had become even more beloved after his father's death, the calming influence making it into what he was writing. And then a familiar frill of variation nearly made him delete the document by accident.

It was Kíli in the video, sitting on the green grass of their yard and playing to the birds in the almost impossibly blue sky above him. Thorin sat and watched, feeling like he'd been turned to stone, as his nephew rose to his feet to spin lightly on his heel and climb the path up to the old tree that Thorin had had a tree house in as a boy.

It was energizing and peaceful at the same time. It was traditional and totally Kíli's. At the end, his nephew looked into the camera and gave the brilliant, wide smile that made everyone love him.

With the hypnosis of the music off him, Thorin glanced at the statistics. Millions of views. Hundreds of thousands of likes. This was something to be proud of. Why hadn't Kíli told him? On a whim, he clicked Kíli's user name.

There were dozens of videos. Feeling almost breathless with joy, Thorin clicked on one.

The brief would keep. It was the weekend anyway. There were more important things to do with his time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I absolutely love [Canon in D](http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hOA-2hl1Vbc&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DhOA-2hl1Vbc), so....
> 
> I'm having Thorin play piano instead of harp. Sorry.


	29. Inert - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli doesn't know what to do when Fíli is hurt.

Fíli had always been strong and protective, a perfect big brother. Thus, Kíli hadn't worried, even when Fíli gave him his helmet. Nothing could touch Fíli, after all. Fíli was too good a warrior, too strong to ever be hurt.

And that was why he had been utterly destroyed seeing Azog bring him down with one blow to that unprotected head. He couldn't remember quite what happened then, except that he screamed and Azog removed him from the fight just as quickly. He wasn't sure what he had expected. If Fíli had fallen, there was no chance for him.

And now Fíli slept like a rock and the healers shook their heads over him. Kíli hadn't wanted to be separated even long enough for his broken arm to be set. Dwalin had held him down, or he would have been climbing onto Fíli's bed like he had when they were just children and either had been sick.

He _couldn't_ do that - the cots that had been set up weren't big enough. But he wanted to. All he wanted was to curl up with his brother and ensure that he was really breathing. All he wanted was to know that Fíli was still there to protect him and be the rock of his life.

All he wanted was his brother, who lay far too still on the cot next to him, breathing shallowly and pale as ash.


	30. Underneath - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin finds out what is worn under a wedding gown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for smut! A little less mild than my last smut warning!
> 
> Because there were so many places to take the prompt "underneath" that of course I had to go for underwear.

They stood together in their room - _their_ room! what a wonderful phrase - and for the first time it felt a little awkward. They were married now, husband and wife, and it felt as if that should somehow change the dynamic of their relationship, but they weren't sure how.

Finally, Thorin couldn't take the silence any longer. "I have always wondered," he said, and as Bell looked up at him curiously his mouth stretched into a lecherous grin, "what is worn under a wedding dress."

" _Thorin_!" she exclaimed, voice wonderfully scandalized.

But when he came to her, she met his kiss with her own. His hands rested easily at her hips while her arms twined around is neck and her fingers wound into his hair. They were gasping when they finally pulled apart, although they couldn't move far with Bell tugging at his hair. Thorin moaned softly at the feel of it, leaning down to kiss her neck. She moaned in turn, pulling harder, and the tingle in his scalp led him to scoop her into his arms and lay her out in bed.

His fingers trembled at the tie of her bodice and he blessed Hobbit fashion. He had helped Dís into her wedding dress and now more than ever he pitied her husband the long row of tiny buttons he'd done up before the ceremony. He didn't think he could have managed them in the state he was in.

Bell helped him get her out of the bodice and then shimmied out of her dress. Thorin sat back and gaped. He had the answer to his question as his wife lay gorgeously and invitingly naked before him.

"Bell," he whispered, hands tracing reverently over her body.

She moaned softly, the sound sending a delicious stab of arousal through him, and languidly held out her arms.

"Husband," she answered, pulling him down to lie with her.


	31. Hide - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bell makes plans as the Fell Winter ends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Uncle Hil" is Hildigard Took, the second oldest of the Took clan.

"You can't hide here forever."

"I'm not hiding," Bell said briskly. She held out the papers. "How do these look, uncle Hil?"

He looked them over, then looked up at her with wide eyes. "Bell, what are you thinking?"

She flinched at the name. "I'm leaving Bag End to Sigismond," she said defensively. "He'll want space when he gets married."

"And where will you go, girl? What's the meaning of this?"

"I don't know why you're so upset. You're the one who said I couldn't stay here forever." She knew she was sulking but there was no way for her to stop.

"Belladonna Baggins, what are you doing?" And there was no disobeying the order in her uncle's voice.

"I am going to Bree," she said firmly. She would not change her plans now. "Where no one will look at me with pity." And where there would be nothing to remind her of what had been lost.

"You're still a child--"

"I am _going_ , uncle Hil," she interrupted.

He sighed. "Hiding in Bree, hiding here, it doesn't change what you're doing. You can't hide forever, Bell."

"I am not hiding," she answered, but inside she challenged _watch me_.


	32. Mirror - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fíli has to deal with changes after the battle.

Fíli would never have considered himself vain. He knew that some found him attractive, and his position as Thorin's heir even more so and he made sure he dressed the part. He knew that his hair was an unusual color for his people and made sure it was clean and well kept. He knew that he had a smile that made people faint (only the once, and she probably hadn't been eating properly, but still).

But he didn't think he was vain.

He had to wonder, though, after the Battle for Erebor. Getting dressed was a chore that he often needed help with, and even after all the practice he couldn't always fix his own braids. And he found that he was pickier and pickier of who helped him. He could trust Kíli to do a good job with his braids because he'd been the one to teach his brother to braid in the first place, but he was never completely satisfied with others.

And he had to trust their judgments on how he looked. It had been a year and the doctors had pronounced his eyes fully healed. But they weren't, always. He had trouble judging distances. Reading was a chore. In the evening he started seeing double.

And his eyes wouldn't focus in the mirror. The reflection threw him off somehow and all he could see was the meticulously scrubbed gold of his hair.


	33. Cuddle - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin's nephews want to comfort him after a nightmare.

There were eyes peeking at Thorin when he woke, although it took him a long moment to fully pull away from the dream. He was berthing like he was in the middle of a battle, not that it was surprising.

He pushed himself up on one arm when he noticed the two tousled heads peeking at him over the rim of the bed. "Bad dreams, boys?" he asked, voice hoarse. He reached out to help them onto the bed.

They helped each other climb up and settled in close against him. "Uncle sad?" asked Kíli, reaching a hand still baby soft up to pet Thorin's cheek. The little hand came away damp.

Thorin considered his dreams and was not surprised. "It was just a dream, získet," he said.

"Mama says we should leave you alone when you have bad dreams," Fíli said, clinging to Thorin with both hands. "But you always make it better when we have bad dreams."

Kíli nodded agreement. "Not fair," he put in. "Not fair to uncle! We make better?"

Thorin pulled them close, one small, warm boy on each side of him, curled trustingly in his arms. He closed his eyes and breathed the soft, young smell of them. "Yes," he answered. "You make everything better."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Khuzdul:  
> Získet - sweetness (this is the actual Yiddish word, although I'm never sure on spelling and would be changing it anyway - my grandma always called me this)


	34. Fireplace - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's amazing what is hidden in stone walls.

The first time Kíli walks out of the fireplace, Bombur nearly faints. But the lad looks fine and he isn't a child anymore to reach for anything shiny no matter for his own safety. So rather than patting him down frantically looking for damage, Bombur just grasps his shoulders and demands an explanation.

Kíli had been exploring the palace with his brother and they found in on of the unoccupied rooms that the fireplace had seats inside. "And," Kíli finishes, eyes bright, "ours does too!"

Bombur is speechless. The home they have been given in Erebor is so big that he sometimes feels lost in it. The cabin they called home for almost eighty years was two rooms, neither of them large. The hearth had been the largest part of it and it had just had room for the pot for dinner.

He knows that this fireplace is larger - it would take up a whole wall of their cabin. It's amazing and he doesn't even need it for cooking because there's a full kitchen. He knows, but the idea of sitting in the fireplace has never crossed his mind. He lets Kíli show him how the wall pushes in to give access to a long stone bench and just shakes his head.

"Let me know what you're up to before you appear out of flames next time," he says, voice find and aggrieved.

Kíli laughs and hugs him. "If course. If I don't tell you all the secrets, how will you find me when I'm hiding?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [This](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-FuGtXdORHE/TG1dF1wWhOI/AAAAAAAAAC8/DvkRv9ZL5DA/s1600/rockfleet_castle_fireplace.jpg) is from an old castle. The Dwarf version is larger and has sliding doors to hold the heat close to whoever is sitting there.
> 
> No, I don't know why this is in the present tense. I almost never write in the present tense.


	35. Ashes - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin remembers.

It surprised everyone when he did it the first year after taking back Erebor. Most knew of the tradition and many had joined him in it the long years of exile, but surely now that they were home it was time to be done with it.

So others thought, but Thorin knew that reclaiming their home didn't change the past. He spread ashes across his face on the day that marked the coming of the dragon. That day he spent in mourning, in quiet contemplation and memories of what had been lost.

This year was no different. He removed the new clothes, unbraided his hair, and spread ashes across his cheeks. He held no audiences that day. He went down to the catacombs and prayed for the souls of those who weren't there. He gave thanks that they had come so far. He thought of all that was left to do.

And when he came back at the end of the day, he saw ashes painting the faces of many of his subjects. He was late coming home, because he stopped to greet or comfort every one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the next year, it's an expected day of mourning.


	36. Clear Skies - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Fell Winter didn't trouble the Dwarves.

The Dwarves of Erebor were wanderers. They had few settlements, and those were mostly places for the young, the old, and the infirm to be taken care of. Most able bodied adults took to the roads looking for employment and sent the money back.

When the summer gave them noting but clear, hot days, they rejoiced. Clear days meant they could travel farther. Hot days meant that Men were more willing to hire others to do their work. The weather was life saving to them.

It wasn't until late in the season when they tried to replenish dwindling food stores that they realized it was a problem. The weather they had blessed had caused drought all across the continent. From the Blue Mountains to the Iron Hills, from the wilds of Rhovanion to South Gondor and even Near Harad crops had died. There was little new food and what had grown was being kept.

The Dwarves had years of experience as hunters and foragers and quickly turned to their bows and baskets. The drought hadn't spared wild plants, but they found what they could and killed and smoked as much as they felt they could safely do.

When winter settled in early with skies just as clear and temperatures plummeting quickly to subfreezing, the Dwarves hid themselves in their stone settlements. They heard the sounds of the wolves, but they were protected and snug.


	37. Justice - Drengur

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is no justice for the poor. There is only Dori.

It was easy to be poor in Erebor. Those with old money or nobility owned everything and all that others could do was to try and keep afloat. Rent was high. Taxes were high. Wages were low. Children started working early in Erebor because their families needed the pennies they brought in.

There were many in Erebor who lived on the streets. It was better than Men in the same position - even the streets in Erebor were under the mountain and protected from weather. But with no address, it was impossible to take proper care of a family.

Dori had an enormous home. It was in low town, but one of the biggest houses there. He had taken it right after the Battle, and, like all of Thorin's company, was given ownership of it at once. Life was easier for the heroes of Erebor.

He filled his home with children who weren't his. Homeless boys and girls, abandoned children, young women who were pregnant or had young children. He took care of them, made sure they had an education, helped find them apprenticeships. And he never asked questions about need. If they lived in Erebor, there was a need.

Dori took care of low town. It was the best he could do to take care of Erebor.


	38. Endless Night - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ove of the longest nights Thorin remembers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually picked this one rather than rolling it. It's my birthday - I think I'm entitled.
> 
> Quite a lot of the modern AU shorts are Thorin-centric, which is kind of interesting. He's not a major part of the actual series at all. Perhaps that's why.

Thorin was home from school that weekend in early February. He was actually working with Dís on her politics homework, laughing about the way that people used politics to not thing, when her water broke.

He panicked, shouting for his parents, who weren't home, and hovering over her anxiously. She grabbed his hand and ordered him to calm down and get her to the hospital. She was the one who kept him controlled through the drive there.

While Dís was brought into the delivery room, Thorin dropped quarters into the pay phone to call his parents and Michael. All three were there in less than an hour, Michael dragging Frerin behind him, although only his mother was allowed in to be with Dís.

Were it not for the way Michael was shaking and pacing, Thorin would have strangled the boy who had impregnated his sister. Frerin was there with them, calming both his brother and his best friend, but as the long night continued, Thorin saw just how jittery his brother was as well. None of them slept, and only their father sat for any length of time.

It wasn't until morning that someone came out to let them know it was over. Michael was let in first, and then Dís wanted Thorin - before even her father. He was the second one to hold Fíli, looking down at the baby in awe, and then he kissed his tired baby sister, both of them beaming with the long night forgotten.


	39. Coffee Break - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bombur and Anise test all the new foods to come to Erebor.

It had been several years since they had retaken Erebor. The kingdom was clean again, and most signs of the dragon were erased. There were Dwarves wandering the labyrinthine hallways and working the forges, jewelers, and mines. Being a Dwarf was once again a reason for pride.

With the returning diaspora came the return of trade that helped both Erebor and Dale prosper. Caravans came from far east of the Iron Hills, met by those who had traveled that way and knew the languages. Caravans came from South Gondor, or even Harad - old trade routes that had been abandoned in the century and more that a dragon held the north. The Men of Dale were filled with wonder at the prosperity they were gaining, the things new to them that they were able to have and to learn.

And Bombur and his Anise were able to try spices and foodstuffs from all over the continent and figure out how to incorporate them into the mixed diet of Hobbits and Dwarves. Rich spices, tart fruits, rice and other grains, all checked by the palletes of the head chefs of the public kitchens and mixed slowly in so that their people were enriched but not overwhelmed.

Some were easier than others. Anise made a face at Bombur from across the table as she sipped at the dark brown drink that had come from Deep Harad via Gondor. The Gondorian trader called it "coffee" and showed them how to make it, speaking almost reverently of its power to calm the appetite and increase awareness. They had gotten a small amount to try with the necessary machines to make it in.

"It's _bitter_ ," Anise said, wrinkling her nose. "It makes me worry that I'm eating something poisonous."

Bombur had to agree. The taste was far too strong. What could they do to make it more palatable? It had to be diluted.

"More water?" he asked, but she just shook her head. "You're right. I wouldn't make it less bitter, just spread the bitterness out. We need something to sweeten it, something to make it lighter."

They pondered, periodically sipping the strong, black drink and grimacing at each other. Finally, Anise's eyes widened and she grinned at him. She bounded out of her seat and came back with a pitcher of the milk freshly delivered up from the Hobbit settlement.

They spent the next hour mixing different amounts of milk into the coffee and testing the taste. Then they grew adventurous and started adding sugar and other sweet tastes, laughing through the afternoon as they found combinations that worked and others that were awful.


	40. Foolish - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin doesn't get to keep things.

It had been foolish, Thorin could admit that. He shouldn't have thought that something as good as what was between him and Bilbo could remain. First he had ruined it himself, falling to the madness that had taken his grandfather. It had been a beautiful dream to think that what they had could recover from that, no matter how Bilbo had treated him over the winter.

It had been foolish to think he could entice his Hobbit to stay. He had proven that gold and power had no pull for him. He had said straight out that the Shire was where he belonged. He had done his part and helped them recover their home, helped Thorin recover himself. He had gone far beyond the terms of his contract.

His home had been ripped from him when he was barely grown. His family had been taken by sickness, exposure, or war. He had had to set aside his pride in order to live. It had been foolish to think that he would be able to keep the one who held his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And then he likely has a relapse of the depression that took him after Azanulbizar.
> 
> There is a reason it was so easy for Thorin to believe Bilbo wasn't coming back. And a reason he didn't go to him to try and beg him to stay.


	41. I Know - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dís doesn't have to explain.

When Thorin returned to the tiny house, Dís looked at him with eyes wide with rage and pain. She flew to him, sobbing even as her fists beat at his chest. He took all her punishment, cradled her close, kissed her hair and whispered "I know."

In the autumn, Dís' mood turned inward. She cried sometimes, when she thought no one would hear her. Thorin held her, as he had done since she was small, rocking her through the tears. "I know."

As the years went by, he was able to spend more time in Ered Luin. He would see his sister's eyes turn north sometimes and step in close. "I know," he whispered, arm around her.

Finally, finally he was able to see her happy again. Standing in front of the home they'd lost and regained, Dís turned to him, eyes luminous with tears but so bright they outshone the sun. He smiled as he put his arms around her and Kíli both. "I know."


	42. Paper - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ori has always wanted to write.

Ori had always loved paper. Strangely, it was never something he was made fun of. There were so many other things people could taunt him for - his lack of parents, that one of his brother' swas part of the dragon generation, that others of his generation were constantly in and out of their tiny home. And the comments were constant.

Paper never judged. Even when he was critical of his handwriting or the accuracy of his drawing, the paper was just there for him to work on. It let him work until he was satisfied and did nothing but reflect his own work back at him.

Even before the traveling players recommended he be apprenticed to a scop, Ori had always been quick at his lessons. He would finish before the others in his class and then move on to drawing. He drew everything he saw and everything he remembered. He wrote conversations he heard and stories he'd been told.

A bastard child being raised by brothers barely old enough to raise him, Ori had few friends. But there were always books. There was always paper.


	43. Dreams - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo's dreams have changed since he was small.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quite late today. I got distracted at work.

When Bilbo was a boy, he had all kinds of dreams. Took dreams, his father always called them, dreams of adventure he got from listening to old stories or to the talk of the Took and Bandybuck cousins. He dreamed of going off on an adventure of his own, slaying a monster, finding treasure, rescuing a princess.

But few outside of the Tooks had the same dreams, and adventures weren't things to do on your own. Reluctantly, he set them aside for practicality. He learned to play Hobbit games, cook, garden. He learned to dream of winning the prize for tomatoes, or of making the perfect quiche.

And when his father was sick, he only dreamed of finding a miraculous cure. When his mother died, he stopped dreaming altogether.


	44. Try Again - Drengur

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You would think facing one dragon would be enough.

Balin knew better than to feel invisible. He was carefully watched and he knew it. But it was easy to feel invisible when he wasn't listened to by anyone other than the spies watching him.

He was on the council. It would be hard to justify removing him from it after the success of the quest. But it had been years since he was able to get anything passed. He had discovered quickly that putting something forth was the best way to get it to die, giving advice was the surest way to get the opposite to happen.

And after almost twenty years, it was getting harder to find those who could be convinced or bribed to put forward his ideas. Not when they were almost universally for the good of the people and would be quickly put down. The council was made of nobles, and none of them wanted failure on their record, or to even be suspected of being friends with the common folk.

He had helped to win his home back from a dragon only for it to fall into the hands of a king just as gold mad and paranoid as a dragon. And just as well surrounded. This was a dragon perhaps harder to vanquish.

But by all the hairs in his beard, Balin had to try.


	45. Need - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What Dwarves need.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will try and work on Boarding today because I know a bunch of what happens next and just need to get it written before I forget.

Dwarves needed many things. They needed food, air, and shelter, which everyone did. They needed activity - most Dwarves couldn't stand being idle. It wasn't how they were created. They needed solid foundations - a good education firm boundaries, a strong home.

One thing Dwarves didn't need was others. The fathers of the Dwarves had been scattered over the face of the continent, alone or in pairs and content to raise themselves on their own. Dwarves didn't need to mate. They had craft.

Love wasn't unusual among Dwarves, but it wasn't required. And those who chose a partner were often looked at a little sideways - as if it was questioned if having a partner would interrupt the far more important work of crafting.

Dori didn't have a craft. After Erebor, making a living was hard enough without apprenticing and spending all the time needed to properly learn a craft. He had an education and he always _worked_ , but he sometimes wondered about how much of a Dwarf he was because of that lack.

Then he met Dwalin and all the love others had for work got turned to the other Dwarf. All the passion that Ori put into his writing and Nori turned to shiny things went into anything Dori could do to make Dwalin smile.

And he found that he needed that smile like he needed food and air.


	46. Engagement - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Royal weddings are a big deal.

Fíli and Kirta had an arranged marriage and she only was in the mountain on the day of the wedding. None of the family were ready for the response to Kíli and Vedyn finally getting engaged.

Erebor was in uproar for months. There was a royal wedding to plan! There were decorations to be made, a feast to be supplied, gifts to be created, clothes to be made! Crafters were busier than they had been in ages as everyone made things to give to the royal couple and the royal family.

The nobility scrutinized her family and line, but were told in no uncertain terms that unfavorable comments would be ignored - at best. If they found her lineage wanting - and Vedyn would be the first to admit that they probably would - it went unnoted and instead they only spoke of her abilities and how she had raised herself up. (It wasn't until Kíli explained that they were talking about her craft and not her marriage that she was able to accept them.)

Her business went through cycles of heavy business when it seemed that everyone wanted to see how good she was and lulls of nothing when they remembered she had a wedding to prepare for. In those times she blew beads and created the ornaments that would adorn Kíli at the wedding.

He was doing the same, separate from her. New combs and pins came from his knives. Leather wasn't cloth for wedding clothes, but tanning it well in trade for the things he couldn't make made him feel that his work went into it all as well.

They had little time together during the engagement. Most couples did, but it always seemed there was too much to plan and do and by the time the day ended they usually hadn't even had a moment together. Sometimes it seemed that they only saw each other at formal parties given in their honor, and they had to be on court behavior at those. (And how they both hated court behavior! Neither had been raised to it, and it seemed unnatural and painted on.)

By the time they were actually wed and could retire _together_ to one home they had almost forgotten why they had gotten engaged in the first place.


	47. Harm - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Balin helps Nori.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Braving the snow and cold to walk the half mile to the nearest theater and watch DoS! Because it will be watched!

It was just another thing he owned Balin Durin in the end. Nori knew Balin was the reason they were able to stay in their home. He was the one who had given Dori a job, the one who made his older brother able to smile again. And then he saved Nori as well.

He was nineteen. He had moved out as soon as he graduated, needing freedom and space. It had been two years since the plane crash that had taken both of their parents and inside of Nori there was still a black hole that sucked out the color and enjoyment of the world.

The only way he could take some of it back was through danger. He did drugs, stole, had all kinds of experiences. When he was high he became manic. He could feel things and the world didn't come in muted sights and sounds as though his brain was packed in cotton wool.

Dori didn't seem to mind what he did. He shook his head ad frowned, but he always did that. And he took Nori to doctors rather than the police, told him to be careful instead of telling him to stop. Nori couldn't pin down how that made him feel because it pinged around the edges of the black hole so fast he almost didn't feel it.

So he moved out, somewhere he could continue to live dangerously without Dori's frowns or Ori's big, worried eyes. It was a small apartment, but the four of them who lived in it fit well together. He spent most of the time high and hardly noticed when his roommates changed.

It was Balin who came to him in jail. He was already jittery with the beginning of withdrawal and it felt like the hole had gotten bigger inside him.

"Dori asked me to help you," the man said gently.

Nori snarled at him, not answering.

"There are many ways to hurt, Nori," Balin continued, voice still gentle. "And many ways to harm. Dori couldn't come with me because he could barely stop crying long enough to tell me what happened. That is harm that you have caused."

Nori stared, breath stopped in his throat. Then he pressed forward leaning on the table that was between them. "Help me," he begged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And he gives a variation on the comments to his students.


	48. Temperamental - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo isn't sure why he's friends with Thorin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the first time, I wish I had a blog. I have _so much_ to say about DoS (good and bad), and no place to say it!

Bilbo was never as close to Thorin as he was to Dwalin. Dwalin was gruff and intimidating, but he was consistent. He was honorable. You would always know where you stood with Dwalin and unless you were goading him past endurance (which Bilbo unfortunately had experience with), he was very self controlled.

Thorin, on the other hand, was mercurial. His base temper was similar to Dwalin's, but it was so much easier to move him. He puffed up and grinned like a child when they won a game. He was easily devastated by girls who rejected him. Slights to his family and friends brought him into cold rage. Perceived condescension got blank eyed superiority.

Bilbo didn't need to worry about being the picked on bookworm after becoming friends with Dwalin, but he wasn't always sure he'd survive getting higher grades than Thorin. And when Dwalin announced his intentions to work instead of going to college, Bilbo was sure Thorin would destroy him for backing his cousin. Thorin refused to speak to him for a year after that.

He wondered sometimes how he was a good lawyer, but he couldn't argue with the fact that he had a very good record. And he still met up with him on occasion to watch football or talk about their families. Thorin was a good and loyal friend, but sometimes Bilbo wondered why he continued to put up with his moods.


	49. Odd Socks - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo sees the things Thorin left behind.

Wandering Dwarves had little to call their own, but they had more than they brought with them on a dangerous quest. Dís and Kíli's wagon held more than just Dís' things and Bilbo had spent the autumn mildly curious (as he had time for curiosity) as to the things Thorin had left behind.

Other than his harp, it was either tools or clothes. Bilbo helped put the clothes away while Thorin tended his tools. With everything they had gained, most of the clothing could be turned to rags or given away. He looked at everything carefully as he folded it, making different piles for Thorin to go through later.

And then he got to the socks. He knew that socks came in pairs, like gloves. A man had two feet, so he should have two socks. Thorin's socks were mostly in a loose pile with a few pairs neatly rolled. Bilbo frowned and spread them out to pair them off and roll the rest.

When he realized that there wasn't a pair in the lot all he could think to do was go to Thorin for an explanation. He dragged the Dwarf over and pointed. To his surprise, Thorin flushed lightly.

"Socks get holes in them," he said and Bilbo nodded. He'd helped with enough washing on the road to see how worn everything the Warves owned was.

"But they don't get holes evenly," Thorin continued. "Sometimes you can keep one even when you have to get rid of the other."

"Can't you just replace them?"

Thorin looked at him, blue eyes uncertain. "Yarn costs money. Better to use it on the boys."

Bilbo's breath caught. How like Thorin, to prize his nephews so far above himself. How like Thorin to embrace hardship so they could have things easier.

How like Thorin to fear what Bilbo would think of him for that sacrifice.

Really, there was nothing to do but kiss him and lead him away to bed.


	50. Lies - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin hates to lie to his sister, but he has done so many times.

When Thorin found what was left of his family after fleeing Erebor, Thráin deposited Dís in his arms and pushed Frerin into his side. Then he strode off to talk with what was left of the council. Thorin kissed Dís' hair and wrapped an arm around his brother. "Father will take care of it. You'll see." It was the first time he lied to his sister, but at the time he believed it himself.

"It was quick. He didn't feel anything." Dís was sobbing in his arms again and Thorin lied to try and make it hurt less. She wouldn't know the truth. They had burned the dead of Azanulbizar and she would never see how her brother's body had been mangled.

"He'll be back." Their father intended to come back, but even when he left Thorin knew better. He watched after him a long time, hugging his sister close and speaking assurances he didn't believe.

"His last words were of you." Thorin held his sister and her sons all at once, keeping his calm as they shook in his arms. The bandit attack had been sudden and there had been no last words, but if it was any comfort he would let them have it.

He lay awake some nights on the road back to Erebor dreading having to bring news of her sons' deaths to Dís. He didn't think he could create pretty lies about that. It was no comfort to him to think that in that case he would be dead as well and it would fall to someone else to comfort his sister.


	51. Elephant - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo finds something he can't identify.

There was a stuffed toy behind the seat of Thorin's truck. Bilbo found it when looking to see if his pipe had rolled back there because he hadn't properly closed his bag. It had large ears and a very long nose, and Bilbo had no idea what it was, so he brought it to show Fíli and Kíli.

Kíli's eyes lit up when he saw it, but it was Fíli who answered. "That's Kíli's, the big baby."

"Hey! Don't insult Babar like that!" Kíli shot back, cuddling the toy in his arms. "Don't think I don't remember how you slept with that stuffed rabbit almost until you were sixty!"

"Oswald was lucky!"

"But what is it?" Bilbo asked, breaking in and hopefully stopping the argument.

"An elephant," Kíli answered. "They live in deep Harad and to the east. The Haradrim _still_ use them as war animals sometimes because they're big and strong and steady."

"War again?" Bilbo asked sadly. "Is everything used for war?"

Fíli looked at him sadly and pulled him close. "People use others for what they need. Some would say you're our elephant. We took you from your home to fulfill a goal that means nothing to you. You could get hurt or die in this quest and it's not even truly yours."

"It is," Bilbo protested, leaning in. "Because you're my family now. I'm trying to free my own home in the mountains with you."

Fíli smiled at him and pressed their heads together before going to find Thorin. Kíli moved to follow and then turned and thrust the stuffed elephant into Bilbo's arms.

"For you, Bíli," he said quickly. "If you're afraid of being our elephant Babar will help you because elephants are strong and steady." He dashed after his brother before Bilbo could respond.


	52. Rain - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo has very bad memories of rain.

It rained the day Bungo Baggins died, a cold November downpour to herald what was probably going to be a long, cold winter. Bilbo was barely twenty-five and deep in the middle of proving he was an adult by never showing emotion. He walked out into the rain when he couldn't hold back any longer and turned his face up into it. Even he couldn't tell what on his face was tears and what was rain.

He got very sick, of course. His mother tended him and made him promise not to do that again. What would she do if she lost him so soon? He promised, of course.

It rained the evening Belladonna Baggins died, a warm drizzle of summer rain to feed the plants and make all the crops come in strong. Bilbo was thirty-four, a year and a half past his majority, and well practiced at not letting grief show. He looked out at the rain and left nature cry for him. It was a more fitting tribute to his mother than if he lost his composure.

The Dwarves had fine weather for their journey until a sudden, heavy storm held them for days in Rivendell. Bilbo walked the halls in awe of the architecture of the Elves and of their great size. But as he explored the hospital and learned of Elrond's great reputation as a physician he thought of his parents. And he walked out into the rain so that no one would wonder at the wet on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bungo died of lung cancer, which has a very low survival rate. Elrond probably couldn't have done much for him.
> 
> Belladonna was sudden and quick, so I'm not sure much could have been done for her either.


	53. Manuscript - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ori has a job to do after the quest is over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am heading out in an hour or so to go on vacation. There are 3 more days of shorts and I am bringing my dice with me, so I am not abandoning you! Keep me in your thoughts for trains to run on time.

Songs about the battle sprang up almost as soon as it was over. Stories about the journey were told just as quickly. But Ori didn't allow that to spoil his own work. He kept his notebooks beside him as he wrote, closing his eyes sometimes to remember better. Writing the story was about getting the images from his head so that others could see them too.

But how could words do justice to the way Bilbo ran through fire to save Thorin? How could words do justice to the sight of the dragon falling from the sky from the strength of one arrow? How coudo words express the joy that shone from every face when they entered Erebor for the first time?

He wrote steadily, setting aside his doubts as much as he could. And after writing came the arduous process of editing. He had written everything, but an epic tale couldn't have everything. Ori agonized over every cut, because wasn't it all important?

And then he had to rewrite it all in a final form (although he would never really stop rewriting it). He copied many of his sketches, using fine pens and inks to bring the images to life. He used what he knew to illuminate the letters and used his very best calligraphy. Kíli made him a cover of well tanned leather, designed by Ori, and Balin helped him bind it.

And then there was just the nervous waiting while it was pored over by the master scops. In the end it was praised and he was given his mastery. And it was his story that was sung throughout the whole of the continent.

And the book - written with care and love, the best product Ori could possibly make - was presented to his king as gift and tribute and accepted with a warm smile that would stay in Ori's mind the rest of his life.


	54. Ink - Moder AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori gets a chance to look at Dwalin's tattoos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know next to nothing about tattoos. That is probably obvious. :(
> 
> I successfully made it to my parents' house! Now I just wait until Monday to get back on a train to my in-laws in Florida.

It wasn't until their third real date that Nori woke up before Dwalin. The larger man was sprawled on his back with one brawny arm tightly around him and Nori didn't even try to escape. He snuggled in, listening to the quiet breaths, and traced his fingers idly over Dwalin's tattoos.

He had a lot of them. Not a grand, complete coating, but a lot. They weren't colorful, either - firm black lines with occasional splashes of vivid red for contrast. They were knot work or stylized and it took Nori a long moment to recognize the dragon climbing one arm, the lion rearing back across his chest, or the fact that the lines and shapes across Dwalin's bald head - the ones he saw the most - looked like a scarily efficient cage.

Dwalin woke not long after, because Nori couldn't keep from pressing at those lines and frowning fiercely at them. The touch and expression must have explained enough because Dwalin nudged at him and rolled until Nori was straddling his hips, hands spread across the strong back and the image of wings spread in flight.


	55. Missing - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dís misses her boys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tomorrow I will still be on a train and without wifi, so the short will be posted late.

She had sworn that she would be glad they were gone. She had told them, while pressing the hand carved stone - among the little that was left of Erebor - into their hands, that she would be glad of the quiet. She had kissed them and told them she looked forward to their stories when they met again and had laughed as she waved them away.

She had never believed it. She felt every day they were gone as a chasm opening wider and wider in her heart. She was alternately crushed with the knowledge that they were gone forever and high with hope that everything would go perfectly. She still cooked for four and shared their favorites with the needy of the Blue Mountains.

But she was always aware of them being gone. There was never a moment she didn't miss them. And it wasn't until she saw her baby leaping down from his pony and pelting into her arms that anything close to whole.


	56. Shadows - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having been in danger makes the world look different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the last of the prompts! Since I'm on vacation, I'm not sure how much writing I will get done. After I get home I might start another round of prompts or do something else to keep writing (I have an idea I'm interested in). But we'll see later!
> 
> Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!

The fire light in the cave threw shadows up on the wall. After the previous night, Bilbo found himself watching them and shivering, remembering the Trolls and what had almost happened to them.

The world outside the Shire was a dangerous one. He had never realized quite as clearly as at the moment he was picked up by a Troll. He had never feared anything quite as much as the sight of Dwalin lifted in one massive hand terrified him.

The others didn't seem to be troubled by it, and that in itself troubled Bilbo. What else were they used to that this was of no concern?

But that wasn't fair, because he knew their story. And now the leaping shadows took on the form of dragons as well as Trolls and Bilbo huddled into his blankets and shivered.


	57. Evidence - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following chapter 28, Thorin determines to find out about Kíli and his music videos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, having written exactly one thing since Christmas, I am starting a second round of the prompts challenge in the hopes that I will actually write. I have no excuse except vacation, but you would think that would make me _more_ likely to write and not less.
> 
> I do have another personal challenge I'm working on, but that's not quite ready for posting. (I am probably quite willing to babble about it, though, if anyone is interested.)
> 
> I also have ideas for where both Boarding and the Zoo AU are going that I _want_ to write. I just _haven't_.

"Kíli, there is evidence on my desk."

"Get it yourself," the young man called back, hanging his jacket from the sound of the front hall closet. It was good to know all the years of instruction hadn't been wasted.

"I'm making risotto. I can't leave it."

"Isn't it confidential or something?" But he hadn't just left and he hadn't said no. Kíli was the sweeter of the boys always.

"I trust you," Thorin said, smiling down at the rice in the pot.

Kíli was back in a few minutes, hovering in the doorway and Thorin turned to see him wide eyed and ashen. Alarmed, Thorin left his cooking without a second thought and led his nephew to a seat.

"It's just a hobby," Kíli said, reaching up to cling to Thorin's arm. "It's-- It doesn't get in the way of school." Thorin stroked the long hair, trying to understand what had his nephew so panicked. "It won't keep me out of law school. I checked."

Oh.

Thorin leaned down and kissed the top of Kíli's head, then returned to the risotto, which really couldn't be left. "Tell me about it. Fíli is in on it, and I can't believe the two of you have left me out of the loop so long."

He glanced over to see that there was a small smile despite the fact that Kíli was still too pale.

"You did teach us how to keep our mouths shut, uncle. A lawyer has to be able to keep confidentiality."

"So does a police officer," Thorin said quickly. First Fíli's adamant decision and how hard they had argued, and now Kíli's desperation that Thorin understand that he _would_ do as he was expected. Thorin was humbled that they still loved him after he had been so proscriptive. "And a doctor, a teacher. There are many jobs that require confidentiality."

There was a long silence before Kíli started talking. He talked about how he and Fíli played at Bilbo's cafe. Thorin had known about that, at least, and he asked questions about the videos.

Legolas had started that, it seemed. He had missed one of the concerts and put the idea forth as a way he could hear things he had to miss. Fíli had taken hold of the idea and run with it, helping Kíli choreograph the videos and appearing in a number of them as back up. And then Fíli started dating Ori, and he helped too.

Thorin had noticed that the most recent videos were more elaborate and had wondered about it. He found his fingers itching for the keys as they hadn't in years, and as soon as the risotto was finished he shooed Kíli off to get his violin.

The young man came back quickly, still looking a little lost until he saw that Thorin had lifted the lid on the baby grand in the den. The look of delight that suffused his face brightened the whole room and he hurried to prepare his bow.

When Dís came home more than half an hour later (late, as she often was, which was why Thorin made dinner most nights), there was still only risotto made for them. She followed her ears to the den, where Fíli shushed her and pulled her to the side of the doorway where they wouldn't interrupt the players, who seemed to only have smiles for each other.


	58. Empire - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwarves neither have nor want empires - or so it is taught.

Dwarves were simple folk. They wanted industry. They loved gold and jewels, but they loved stone and iron just as much. Dwarves didn't want to spread out and have dominance over everything. They just wanted to mine and craft (and irritate Elves - but they deserved it for wrongs long past).

Thorin should never have believed those words. No people - and he knew this from his studies - followed the same path. If they did, politics would simply be the art of understanding the ideal of your opposite and coming to a compromise. There would be no intricacy or cunning needed if people were that simple.

When Thrór started falling to the gold madness, he stopped creating. The hours he would have spent in the forges he instead spent in the treasury doing nothing but staring around himself in ecstasy. He was brusque and cruel in court. And the things he did to the Elves could not be called pranks or irritations.

But Thorin was young and wanted to think the sickness an aberration. He wanted to think the best of Dwarves - that industry and family were the things that were cherished, honor and glory but not hegemony.

He was still young when he arranged his sister's marriage. He didn't see the glint of the empire builder in her new father-in-law.


	59. Fading Away - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frodo's new life makes the memories of the neglected years fade.

When Frodo was nine, he still woke up in the middle of the night sometimes, afraid that everything had been a dream and he was still with Aunt Lobelia, or Uncle Dudo, or Merimac. He would creep out of his room and down the hall to see that his daddies were still there. Sometimes he slipped, as careful and silent as possible, in with them to keep the dreams away.

He woke those mornings to arms tight around him and lips pressed gently to his tousled curls. He woke up safe and warm and loved.

He felt that safety when they went to family functions, one hand held by each daddy. He felt that warmth when he sat in Bilbo's lap to be read to. He felt that love when Bifur dried his tears and tended his skinned knees.

As the years passed he stopped feeling like it was a dream that could vanish. The memories of being lonely and neglected faded, but they never went away entirely. Frodo was always grateful for his daddies, who had given him so much. He never took their love for granted, hugging close every example of it and letting the new memories make the older ones fade further.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The other consequence, of course, is that the hoarded memories of Primula and Drogo also fade. He spends an afternoon when he's around 15 worried that he's a bad son because he can't really remember them anymore. Thankfully, Bifur knows the feeling and is able to help.


	60. Decent - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dís talks about her dead husband to his son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me so long to get a handle on that by the time I did I was at work. And I had no time to write it at work. And then AO3 was having problems. So now it's evening and I'm only just getting this posted. I feel like a failure.

"Can you tell me about my father?"

Dís looked at her oldest son. He was sitting at the table guilelessly, eyes turned to her as trustingly as they had when he was ten. He wasn't that small boy anymore, though. He was a man grown, heir to what would someday soon be a great kingdom.

And within the month he would be a husband. She sat across from him, and saw the fear underneath the innocence in his eyes. He had never asked about his father before, and she thought some of that fear might be for her sake, but most of it would be because of the example of his grandfather.

"Lofar was much your age when we married," she said, reaching out to take his hand in her own. "Unutterably polite, courteous to a fault. He was every inch the crown prince, and I wanted to hate him because he was everything my brother didn't have the chance to be."

Fíli frowned, because he knew he wasn't that kind of prince either and Dís squeezed his hand.

"He was a good man, really. I couldn't hate him when I wanted to and in the two years we had together we developed an easy friendship. He truly wanted to help our people. He did more than _look_ the prince." She smiled at her son's confusion. "He was honest and loyal. He cared more for justice than personal gain."

She was quiet a moment, sadness stealing over her. "I have always thought that was why he died for his father's plots. He never would have held with them. You are much like him in that."

Dís smiled again, still a bit sad. "Your father was a good man, and I miss him though I never loved him."


	61. Gloves - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bell refurnished Thorin's wardrobe, one item at a time.

Bell did more than wash Thorin's clothes. She went through his laundry piece by piece, mended things he hadn't even noticed and repaired things he had forgotten about. She knew ways to brighten the colors and restitched embroidery that had long been missing sections.

Thorin knew his clothes hadn't looked so good in years - perhaps decades. But his feelings were mixed. Here was a reminder of just how different they were - her with her settled business, making a good living and fed and clothed comfortably, him a wanderer who had little to his name and a family to feed. It was a reminder of all he could have given her - should have been able to give her! - but couldn't.

She was no fool. It was obvious his torn thoughts, so she started to discard and replace pieces of his clothing she felt were too much in need of repair. She made the new clothes herself and slid them in with the rest of his wash, and though he had to notice them he said nothing. She took pleasure in seeing him wear the new things and look brighter and happier than he had when he showed up at her door.

One of the first things he received was a pair of gloves. His old ones were threadbare, grey and colorless from age, and with holes in every finger. They had served him for years and hardly did their job anymore. He came into the house blowing on his fingers to warm them, holding them out to the fire for long minutes now that the mornings and evenings were chilled.

She helped him into his things at the door before giving him a kiss goodbye when he went to work in the morning. He shrugged into his coat while she wrapped a scarf around his neck. And then she handed him the new gloves. They were blue, darker than the darkest sapphires, with knot work twining and untwining all the way from the wrist to the fingertips. He stared and then pulled them on, feeling how soft the yarn she had used was, feeling how warm they already made his fingers.

And he used both hands to cradle her head as he kissed her, returning every ounce of love that had gone into her work.


	62. Prowl - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli is a hunter. His family doesn't quite know what that means.

Kíli was a hunter. His family knew this, though they had never seen it. The area around the mountain was only just coming back to life that first year, and Kíli would not hunt there. The animals were needed and hunting too early could drive them away.

If the height of summer, the Dwarves were invited to hunt at the edges of Mirkwood, near the Elves' stronghold where the forest was protected. Thorin sent Kíli, of course, with Dwalin and Fíli and Gimli, and a few guards because that much royalty warranted extra protection even if they could take care of themselves.

They were all surprised when Kíli took charge. He ordered the guards to stay back and hold the horses, kicked off his boots and stripped off layers of clothes and any jewelry, and demanded that the others do the same.

Faced with a coolly competent Kíli that they weren't used to seeing they obeyed and stayed back while he traced their prey. They stayed quiet and watched as he tracked a stag with more points than they could count in motion and brought it down as easily as he had brought down the dragon.

Gimli continued to trail him as he prowled the edge of the forest, easily taking several more. It wasn't until he finished and saw the open admiration on their faces that he became the bashful Kíli that they knew better.


	63. Muse - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every artist has a source.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to write last night, but my wife needed to bitch about her boss. And she takes precedence.

When Dwalin returned to Bree he noticed the number of small, lovely gold pieces Thorin had made, and a new delicacy in his wire creations. When he commented on it, Thorin's face split in a smile of more peace and pleasure than Dwalin had seen in almost a century. He said that Bell inspired him.

Good cousin that he was, Dwalin snorted and laughed at the sentimentality.

It was several years later that Dwalin met Dori. New patterns entered his work, and where he had been fast and sure before he started to slow down. Dwalin had always been attentive to detail, but suddenly everything was laid down with purpose - every line and knot had meaning.

Good cousin that he was, Thorin raised his brows and his eyes danced with laughter.


	64. Electrifying - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gandalf remembers Hobbits from before the Shire.

There was always something electric about entering the Shire. Gandalf remembered Hobbits when they were still roaming the world looking for a safe haven. He remembered how courageous and loyal they could be, how willing to do what was needed to help their friends. And though they had been locked away behind their magic shield and their "protectors," that couldn't be bred away.

Gandalf always managed to find someone willing to take on an adventure. Some still wanted to see the outside world even if common Hobbit wisdom said they weren't missing anything. And once out of the Shire and the controlling influence of elders and Rangers, they blossomed. He saw the same old courage and loyalty, the same ability to think creatively and to do what needed to be done.

Returning them - because many saw it as home despite what they learned in their travels - was always the hardest part. He knew the next time he saw them they would be shadows. But that never stopped him from trying, never kept him from taking them away, never prevented him from stealing their freedom for them.

Gandalf approached the frowning smoker. He remembered Belladonna Baggins (when she was young and still a Took) and how remarkable she always was. He remembered Bungo Baggins and his stubborn loyalty to his wife. He remembered Gerontius Took and the laughter they shared during his visits - visits the Rangers didn't like but couldn't stop because Gerontius was too strong a figure in the Shire.

He remembered a young Bilbo Baggins, listening to stories and sneaking up near guests to learn about them. He remembered the wide eyed wonder at his stories and the pleas to be taken to see every place he spoke of. He looked at Bilbo Baggins and he smiled.


	65. Starlight - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli has much to think about after scouting the Lonely Mountain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In present tense! Because sometimes these things happen for reasons I don't understand.

The road back to the Geenwood is both too short and too long. Kíli feels that any step taking him away from Erebor is a little bit of dying. He was born in the west and this is the farthest he has ever been from his mother, but it felt as though the stone of the mountain sang to him and he never wants to leave it.

But at the same time, he has so little time to learn what this strange thing is that has grown between him and his friends. Kisses from Tauriel feel like coming home, and the look in Legolas' eyes makes him shiver happily.

It is hard to sleep nights. He lies between the two of them - Fíli almost forgotten in his own nearby bedroll - and there is so much that he wants to remember, wants to feel, wants to learn that he can't close his eyes. There are two sets of arms warm around him, and he reaches for both. He feels the warm swell of Tauriel's breasts pressed against his back. Legolas' hand covers his hip. Warm breath stirs his hair from both before and behind.

And in the starlight, pale hair gleams gold and silver as he puts in and takes out braids that he is unsure of. The fire paints copper hair into blood as it spills through his fingers.

The world is wider than he had ever dreamed, but the stars above are the same that he has always known. The stars are what he remembers best of those nights. The familiar lights looking down on what is being wrought are an anchor in his mind. This is real.


	66. Soulful - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Music can be very different.

Songs in the Shire were uncomplicated things. They were loud and improper things sung in taverns when men were deep in their cups. They were soft and sweet to lull children to sleep. They were about love, about nature, about home - often all three at once. They were simple, generally cheerful things that were easily whistled and set feet to dancing.

Dwarf songs were something else again. They ran toward the melancholy, but that didn't make them less. They spoke of loss, which songs of the Shire avoided. But the devastation in them was the result of love, and that shone through. They were about hope through despair, triumph over hardship, love and loss, grief and recovery.

The Dwarf songs spoke to Bilbo in a way that the songs of his youth never did. Shire songs were bright things made for laughter and summer sun. Dwarf songs were deeper and they made their way into his soul and stayed there.


	67. Morals - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hobbits and Dwarves have different values.

The problem with Dwarf stories, Bell reflected, was that they didn't have proper morals. They were exciting, she could say that with no trouble. They were about battles and quests and proving your worth. They were about romance and - strangely, she thought, for a people who glorified true love - were often tragedies.

It fell to her to teach proper morals. Communities had needs, and each person had a place in the community and duties to it. Traditions needed to be passed along, family stories that taught a child how to interact with the world and what was expected of them.

The problem with Hobbit stories, Thorin reflected, was that they didn't have proper morals. They were pretty enough, of course. Full of the green and rolling hills of the Shire, fat, well fed people, and large families. They were comfortable things about food and parties and what to bring when invited to one.

It fell to him to teach proper morals. It was all well and good to think about others, but the individual had to be tended first. If a child had no sense of self, they would spend their life being trodden on. If they couldn't see the tragedy of the battle-wed - where one often began to think of the other as a trophy of battle until the marriage fell apart with the love lying in tatters - how could they see if they were being treated in such a way?


	68. Paint - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ori paints.

Ori was glad that paint was almost always recoverable. There were so many expensive and rare paints in the collections of Erebor and it would be awful if he was unable to save them.

The quality and quantity of the writing materials in Erebor constantly amazed him. By the end of winter, Fíli's bedside was decorated with countless products of Ori's discovery and play: paintings of the mountain, verses of old poems, illuminated verses to his own glory.

Ori read to Fíli, but Fíli could focus on colors. Ori painted for him daily, using every color he could find in the stores. Fíli's room was a kaleidoscope of rainbows that Kíli laughingly protested that being there made him feel ill. But Fíli just smiled and turned his head, eyes roaming the bright colors that he could recognize and the dark smudges of ink that he couldn't focus on.

And Ori ducked his head and continued painting.


	69. Test - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ori has a test.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who read yesterday's short in the morning when it said it was from Boarding - mea culpa! It was Life Debt. That has been changed. I do try not to write shorts ahead of where the story is (especially since I often don't plan too far ahead).
> 
> Today is really Boarding. I promise.

Some days it felt like everything was a test. Master Balin would hand him something and pretend to not be watching him avidly while he worked on it. It was maddening.

Ori did his translation, feeling eyes on his back, and his pen skittered across the page. He cursed softly, words he had learned from Nori and made sure Dori never heard, and pulled out a clean page. He stopped and took a breath, trying to ignore the gaze on the back of his neck.

And then he felt steel enter his spine. If this was a test, then fine. Let Balin watch him. He had been well trained. He knew his languages and he knew his work. If he wanted the page translated, he would do it properly.

He continued on the ink spattered page, translating as accurately as he could. And then he took the clean page and swiftly laid it out to match the original. He used his most angular Westron calligraphy to match the Cirth of the original.

When he pulled his paints close to copy the illuminations, he heard Balin shift. He grinned, knowing his master was curious. He could imagine that Balin - who often seemed to know everything - was dying from the curiosity. He bent lower and worked just a little slower, out of spite for being given the test in the first place.


	70. Tease - Drengur

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bofur has changed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I worked on Boarding last night, but once again my wife takes precedence. I will try to finish that chapter up today when I get home from work.

Bofur had always been light hearted. He was quick to laugh and quick to joke. He made friends like breathing. The music that came out of his pipe was cheerful and easy to dance to. And he teased. He always teased. Bombur, his brother who was often the butt of his teasing had sworn he would see the end of it.

Bombur thought that it was one thing he would never forgive Erebor for.

His brother was a shadow of himself. He went down to the mines in the morning with a grim face and came back in the evening with a blackened face, aches all over, and stories about how he could hear the movements which would bring the walls crashing down on them.

It had happened more than a dozen times in twenty years. And though they asked for funding to brace the walls, it never came. Bofur had asked for money under his share of the treasure as one of the heroes who had retaken the kingdom, but he was denied. The king had denied knowing him, denied that anyone other than he himself deserved the treasure, had had Bofur locked away for presuming that he had a right to ask for what was his.

Bofur hadn't smiled since then. He barely spoke. He didn't play his pipe or sing. He didn't go out to drink or to see his friends - Bombur didn't know if his brother had friends. He didn't tease.

He wasn't Bofur anymore. Bombur hated it.


	71. Lower - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things change when children come into a home.

"Fíli, what are you doing?"

The seven year old boy looked over from where he was precariously leaning off a chair and holding open the shelf window on the bookcase. "Mommy's busy with the divorce, so I was going to read to Kíli, but I can't reach the books."

Thorin carefully took closed the shelf and picked his nephew up, sitting the boy in his lap. They had done everything they could think of to explain and help, but was it still not enough? "You know you aren't losing your dad, right? He lives close by and you can see him whenever you want."

Fíli cocked his head so Thorin continued. "Your mom will always make time for you. And so will your dad. They both love you, and so do your grandparents and I. You don't have to try and be strong if you're sad. You can rely on all of us."

The boy took hold of Thorin's arm with shaking fingers and Thorin pulled him close, kissing the top of his head. "Why don't I read to you and Kíli tonight?" he offered. "And tomorrow, we can lower the books so you can get anything you want."


	72. Guess - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori has an important announcement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear, I'm actually going to do some writing today. ....you know, after running errands and doing the laundry....
> 
> But I will write!

Nori stopped just inside the kitchen door, shifting from foot to foot in a way that told Dori there was something he wanted to say. Dori folded the newspaper and put down his tea, then folded his hands together and looked up expectantly.

"I'm moving in with Dwalin."

Dori's brows climbed. "What?" he demanded.

Nori was across the room in an instant, kneeling on one of the chairs and leaning across the table toward Dori. His hazel eyes were wide and open. "I love him."

Dori's breath stopped. He had heard those words less than a handful of times, and none had ended well.

The first time Nori had claimed to love someone who wasn't his family, he had been 16 and it was only a month before their parents died. The relationship hadn't lasted a month after that, with the girl breaking it off because his grief "wasn't natural" and she "couldn't" deal with it, and she "shouldn't" have to. She still remembered Dori, because when they passed each other on the street she would blush scarlet and look down, never mind that it had been almost 20 years.

The second time Nori said he loved someone, he had been in the hospital because of an overdose within a week. It wasn't the end of his destructive behavior, but it was the last time he saw the man. Dori had seen him sent to jail for dealing, and as far as he knew he was still there.

The third time Nori said he was in love, the man found out about his sordid past and left him. The man expressed horror and disdain at Nori and called him all kinds of vile names. The man no longer lived in their city. When it was known that a person didn't believe someone was able to change, it was hard to be a therapist.

It had been eight years and Nori hadn't had more than casual relationships since then. Dori had already known that what was going on with Dwalin was serious, but for Nori to be in love.... For Dwalin to have that much power over him....

"Guess how it was decided," Nori demanded, breaking into his older brother's thoughts, and Dori remembered that they were talking about cohabitation.

He shook his head slowly, taking in the eager puppy look he hadn't seen on Nori since long before they were on their own.

Nori lowered his voice like he was telling a secret, breathless with wonder and so very happy. "He asked me to."

That was when Dori stopped worrying.


	73. Quarrel - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dís solves an argument between Thorin and Bilbo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This would have been up hours ago but I could not, for the life of me, figure out what they were arguing about.

Dís found her sons kneeling down with their ears pressed to their uncles' door. "What are you doing here, my treasures?" she asked.

They looked up with matching expressions of worry. "They're shouting," Fíli said.

And that meant they were certainly entitled to worry. After the gold sickness and then the misunderstanding about why Bilbo wanted to return to the Shire, the relationship between Thorin and Bilbo was stronger than ever. They had gained some unspoken understanding, and they were able to bring up and discuss any topic. If they were quarreling, there was something wrong.

She moved her boys aside and softly opened the door.

"They are my family and I _will_ go to their wedding, Thorin! Will you or won't you!"

"Your duty is to your people and your people are _here_!" Thorin roared in reply.

"So you've said," the Hobbit scoffed. "But you will still be here, and Fíli and Kíli, and Dís, Balin, Dwalin, and your whole council! I will not be leaving a void behind me!"

Dís knew her brother well enough to read his expression, but in his anger it seemed that Bilbo had missed the central point of Thorin's argument.

"Why don't you go with him," she said, cause both to spin on her and look as though they were going to arch and hiss like cats. "Bilbo's right. Everyone else will still be here. The two of you and Dwalin as a guard. You should be able to make the trip in just a few weeks. It will make for a long journey, but you shouldn't be away more than a few months."

They stared, then looked at each other from the corner of their eyes, flushing slightly with embarrassment. She smiled benevolently and sailed out of the room, gathering her boys, to go and make the plans.


	74. Beach - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin thinks of the sea.

Thorin had worked for Cirdan the Shipwright once. He'd spent months in the Grey Havens creating tools and nails and locks and everything else that was needed for the city and for the ships. For an Elf, Cirdan wasn't bad, and the pay was too good to pass up. He had put up with everything being too large - although the Eves were better about it than Men were - and the brine of the sea getting everywhere.

On days off, he often sat on the beach, staring out over the waves. Many Elves did and none seemed surprised to find him there as well, but if they could have seen his mind they might have been. Thorin hated the sea.

Valinor was across the sea. Valinor, where the Valar lived. Vlinor, where the Elves went when they tired of life. (Thorin had often been tired, but he didn't think he would ever give up the struggle.)

Valinor. A place only the Firstborn were allowed to go. Another way Elves could think themselves superior to Men and Dwarves. Another reason they could just give up and refuse to help those in need. Darkness need never come to the Elves.

Thorin sat on the beach, listening to the crash of the waves. He smelled the salt brine of the sea. And he wondered what memory those on some far off beach would have of Men and Dwarves and Hobbits. What purpose were their struggles when they wouldn't go on and the ones who would didn't concern themselves with those whose lives were mortal.

Thorin sat on the beach with every sign of peace, and hated.


	75. Happy Birthday to You - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwarves and Hobbits have different birthday traditions.

"The year I turned 33, mother insisted on a huge party. I think we gave out gifts to everyone who lived in the West Farthing, half the Rangers, and every guest who was in the Shire that day." Bilbo laughed, but swiftly grew serious again. "The last few years I haven't had the heart to give mathoms."

"You give presents on your birthday?" Kíli asked, both curious and confused.

"It's another thing that shows the wealth of the Shire," Balin said from near them. They turned and he continued. "I think we could have done something like that in Erebor before the dragon. Everyone had enough and to share. But when you're poor, you can't give things away."

And they had been poor since then. Bilbo hadn't thought about that. He looked around at the Dwarves and that very day he began looking for things to give them on his birthday.


	76. Prayer - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frerin thinks of his family.

Frerin had been in the hospital more than once in the last few years, so he could tell. He could tell through the haze of painkillers and through the throb of the pain they couldn't completely kill. He hoped someone had called his parents, but he didn't know if anyone would make it in time.

He turned as much as he could to a spirituality he had never had. In what he knew to be his last moments, he turned to prayer.

Dear whatever is out there. Please. Please bring Thorin the success he needs. Let him do what he's always wanted to. Let him know that he's supported and loved.

Please take care of Dís. Don't let her fall into ruin because of the choices she made as a teenager. Let her be always happy.

Please take care of my parents. This wasn't their fault, and I need them understand that.

Please. Please take care of the children. Let them grow up loved and happy.

Please.


	77. Aloof - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The king and queen of Geenwood are not demonstrative parents.

None of the young royals of the Greenwood doubted that they were loved. Their parents were interested and involved in their lives. They just weren't very affectionate, and they never acted close to anyone - including each other.

They were different than the Silvan Elves they ruled over, which was part of it. Though their children all had Silvan Elves as companions (except Morgu, who always did the contrary to what was expected of him), the Silvan population was not considered equal. The king and queen always held themselves above, and in the end that effected their relationships with their children.

They dealt with it in different ways.

Elugelon was the heir and emulated his parents in every way. Still, when it was just the siblings, he relaxed and smiled - and they all wondered if that would be what their father would look like when smiling.

Morgu was coldly aloof back to them. His nature was as dark as his hair, and he held himself to a different standard. He rarely smiled when he wasn't fighting and only let himself get close to the Silvan Elves around him.

Carameril seemed to accept everything that made their parents who they were. She was open with her friendships and affections, no matter to who and if her parents didn't approve, she just smiled at them, kissed them, and did what she wanted.

And Legolas, the youngest, still ran after their approval. Morgu said he was eager as a puppy to be loved, and his older siblings lavished their attention on him. Still, his eyes continued to turn toward the parents who didn't seem to see him.


	78. Wine - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their first fancy date involves wine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This moved away from the prompt a bit, but the wine is still a part.
> 
> This leads into short 72.

Nori eyed the bottle, then looked up at Dwalin with a confused look.

"You can't eat at his kind of place without it," the larger man said, pouring the red liquid. "The meal won't be right without."

Nori had stopped counting dates months ago. This had been his longest relationship, and the best one. This was the first time they'd come somewhere so fancy they had to wear ties to be let in, and Dwalin had made plain when asking that he'd pay for everything. Truth be told, Nori was a bit nervous.

Dwalin shifted his chair around so they were next to each other at the round table and not opposite. He reached over for his own wine glass and tipped it to Nori's lips as he'd offered his champagne when they first met. Nori accepted - he felt like he'd accept anything from Dwalin.

They ate the horribly overpriced food (although Nori had to admit that it was also one of the best meals he'd ever had). They talked about everything - it was always so easy to talk to Dwalin. They leaned close together and drank the wine.

Dwalin's arm circled him as they walked back to Dwalin's apartment, and Nori leaned in. There was a pleasant buzz in his head from the wine, but they'd had enough food and enough water that it wasn't more than that.

Dwalin's mouth was on his as soon as they made it inside. Nori hummed in pleasure and kissed back, arms around his lover as if he could climb into him. Dwalin tasted like wine. The sounds he made into the kiss made Nori shiver. He felt like safety.

When they were in bed after, Nori curled into Dwalin's strong arms. He had never felt like he belonged anywhere as much as he belonged there.

"Nori," Dwalin said, voice deep and serious, and Nori tensed. Nothing good had ever come from that tone of voice. "Nori, will you move in with me?"

The pleasant languor that had him near sleep was banished immediately. The wine was gone from his blood in an instant. He looked up, breath stopped, eyes wide, but saw nothing but honesty in Dwalin's eyes.

"Yes," he breathed.


	79. Devious - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bofur and Bombur aren't always straightforward.

Bombur had been away at school for four years, leaving as an overweight adolescent who was too aware of his body to be comfortable in it, but not aware enough to avoid being clumsy. He returned from the culinary institute an exceptional chef, and comfortable in himself no matter what others thought.

He came home to find that much hadn't changed. The apartment over the cafe was much as he remembered it, as were the people inside. It was a relief, really, to know that his family was his family even after all the changes he'd been through.

But there was one change he silently vowed to see happen.

Bofur and Bombur fought more than they used to. Bombur had grown used to being his own person and wasn't willing to be a baby brother anymore. He wouldn't put up with Bofur's casual dismissal. He wouldn't hide his own opinions because they conflicted with Bofur's. And they argued. There were days together when they wouldn't speak to one another.

Then Bofur started complaining that Bombur took up too much of their room. Bombur retaliated by spreading out further, pushing aside half finished projects that were in his way. And then they fought more.

In the end, it was only two months before Bifur moved in with Bilbo. They had been together for years, but had never considered the move. Bilbo blushed bright red when he made the offer, but they came out the first morning looking fresh and rested, shooting each other small smiles when they thought the others wouldn't notice.

Bombur moved into Bifur's room and was able to decorate in his own way, listen to his own music, keep correspondence with his friends private.

If Belladonna thought that Bofur and Bombur stopped fighting and went back to being thick as thieves very abruptly, she didn't say anything, and Bifur and Bilbo never noticed.


	80. Bewitching - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bofur's story is interrupted by the main characters.

"And the prince was so enamored of the crafter that he thought she must have some magic in her. With her dark dark hair, and her eyes bright as melted glass--"

"Uncle, you're ridiculous," Vedyn said, smiling at Bofur on the floor with all the little ones.

"Mama, you don't believe the story?" little Iren asked, eyes wide.

"Believe it?" Kíli asked, sprawling on the floor and letting all the children climb on him. "She is the witch!"

"Witch!?"

He turned twinkling eyes on her, the image of his uncle. "Enchantress, then. I was surely enchanted by you."

"Really?" Onur asked. Over twenty, he was really too old to believe things like this, but he was too much Kíli's son not to.

"Really," Kíli confided, voice low as he leaned in close, taking all the attention away from Bofur and his story. The older man glanced up at Vedyn, eyes dancing. "And someday, if you're lucky, you will meet someone like your mama. Someone who will steal your breath and set your heart racing, who will set fire to your fingers so you have to make things to prove yourself worthy."

The children all turned starry eyes to Vedyn and she smiled on them. "It didn't take much," she assured, and even Kíli's eyes widened in curiosity. "Your papa's smile has more magic in it than anything in the world."


	81. Starve - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erebor isn't used to hunger.

Even in the throes of dragon sickness, there was always plenty in Erebor. Even the poorest had enough to spend and lend, and time to make beautiful things just for the fun of it. Banquets were frequent, and even the miners got together to drink and eat at least once a week. Children were round and content, and people were happy.

It was a shock all around when they took to the road. It was the first time in living memory that they went to sleep hungry. And it was because it had been so long that the first death came as a surprise. Children and elders suffered the most from the hunger, losing weight and health. And then they stopped being hungry, and only a few understood the danger that still existed. But there was nothing to give them, and the people starved.

Years later - decades later, more than a century later - the people of the new Erebor brought gifts of food to the catacombs. They had plenty once again, enough so that they could try and ease those who had passed so long ago. Enough to try and fill the bellies of the dead.


	82. Careful - Zoo AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Between a snowstorm and a cold hitting at the same time, I'm taking a day off work tomorrow. If I'm not so sick I can't think, I will be working on the Zoo AU tonight and tomorrow.

Bilbo didn't think the Dwarves were very careful. The cars and trucks went so fast it took him days to get used to it and longer to understand how they could react so fast.

They intentional hit each other. They rough housed more violently than Hobbits ever did. Cooking over a campfire was done with casualness that bordered on careless. And the way they had thrown his dishes around as if breaking was something that happened to other people....

As they traveled, he had to revise his opinion. He took part in the rough and tumble games, laughing all the while. He walked away with bruises, but nothing bleeding or broken. He took part in the training and learned how to minimize damage when he was hit. He watched Thorin carefully as he drove, and learned to read the thought process that went into driving.

The Dwarves were more careful than anyone he had ever known. They knew they lived in a dangerous world and prepared themselves for it, but so carefully that they never lost their joy. It was amazing and Bilbo only hoped he could live like they did.


	83. Hope - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Balin loves his job.

Balin's legal career was quite different than that of either of his cousins. Glóin tirelessly worked in criminal court, hearing about the worst things people could do to one another. Thorin took civil cases - divorces that were screaming matches from stat to finish, trespassing, all the little things people did to one another to put them into black moods.

Balin worked on cases that involved children. He looked at child custody cases, adoptions, and cases with criminals who were too young to be tried as adults. He had heartbreaks, but also assurances. He saw people who had failed others and been failed themselves. He saw places where people were shoring each other up against the world.

He kept in contact with as many of his clients as he could. He sent birthday and holiday presents. He sent postcards and encouraged them to write back to him. He went to see those who were nearby - especially the ones in lock up.

He worked with families to better themselves and their lives. It could be hard to gain the trust of a young person who had been thrown from home to home with no one wanting them. When parents and parental figures had fallen through time and again, it was hard to believe. But they could sometimes believe in Balin. He was a third party, only responsible for paperwork. He had no stake, so his affection might be genuine. And through that trust, new parents could wiggle their way in as well.

That was the part Balin loved most about his job. Seeing young people who had been jaded by the world start cautiously to hope.


	84. Beautiful - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Belladonna Baggins had been beautiful. Even Bungo, who loved her like air, admitted that he might not have given the strange Took girl a second look if it hadn't been for how beautiful she was.

She had dark dark hair that curled into sleek, natural ringlets. It was long and required less work than Bilbo's. The hair on her feet was just as smooth and well tended. Her eyes were also dark, sparkling and bright. She was round and comfortable, just the shape a Hobbit should be. She laughed and flitted around her social circle like a ray of light. She was beautiful.

When she died, Bilbo never thought there could be another woman so beautiful.

Dís was the most beautiful woman her sons had ever seen. Kíli told Bilbo this when they were traveling. She had black hair like Thorin's, which she wore twined into crown braids around her head. Her beard was dark and thick and she wore it short and unadorned - but it didn't need adornment, because that would detract from its natural fineness.

Her eyes were a bright, piercing blue that could see right into your soul. (Fíli agreed with that one - their mother always knew when they had done something. Ori giggled at them and whispered that a blind man could see when they were up to something.)

She was solid and strong, the image of a healthy Dwarf woman. She had a voice as deep and strong as any, and when she sang with them it charmed the animals out of the woods and the gems from out of the mountain.

It was hyperbole. Bilbo knew that. No one could be that perfect - no one but his mother. But as he understood more about the world outside the Shire, Kíli pulled out his phone and showed off a photograph of her, and she was everything he had said. Their mother was beautiful.


	85. Treat - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ori gives his boyfriend a treat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warning!** Smut! Because of course. Sweet, innocent prompt. Must be smut!

"Close your eyes and you'll get a treat."

"Only if I close my eyes?" Fíli asked, smiling and reaching out.

Ori batted his hands away smiling teasingly back. "Maybe."

Fíli obediently closed his eyes. When he felt a touch to his lips he instinctively opened them, tasting blueberries and coffee on Ori's tongue. He reached out to wind his fingers in his boyfriend's hair, feeling long fingered hands cradling his face, and lost himself into the kissing.

It was a very good treat to kiss Ori. It always was. And then he felt Ori lower down on him and his eyes flew open. Ori's face was set with concentration and a touch of pain, but mostly wondering pleasure.

"Close your eyes," he instructed breathlessly, and though Fíli listened as closely as he could, he couldn't hear pain in it. "Close your eyes."

But Fíli found that he couldn't. He could barely breathe with the delight of being buried in Ori. He stared as Ori closed his own eyes, moving slowly and gasping at the feeling. And Fíli watched every flutter of his eyelids, every tremble of his lips. Fíli held Ori as he came shudderingly apart, as Ori opened his eyes and they both lost coherence, brown eyes and blue locked together in the amazement and beauty of the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently, Ori usually tops.


	86. Underneath - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People are not what they seem on the surface.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last time I got this prompt, it ended up being smut.... This time it isn't!

On the surface, Bifur was a fierce, broken man. He was physically isolated from others, who saw only the damage to his head, emotionally isolated from those who only heard his inability to speak Westron anymore. He was a dangerous man, who could fly into rages at any time.

Underneath, he was gentle. He loved deeply and freely. He wanted to protect those around him, wanted to bring smiles to the faces of children. He was a sad man who had lost his family.

On the surface, Bofur was nothing but a joker. He had a ready smile, and there was nothing inside. He drank and laughed and told jokes and said nothing of substance.

Underneath, Bofur was as fierce as his cousin was gentle. While the humor was real, it lay over the protectiveness of a mama bear. He was the first to offer aid where needed, the best shoulder to cry on, and the one who sacrificed first.

On the surface, Bombur was nothing but a fat chef. He cooked and he ate and he was so big it was a surprise he could even pick up a ladle

Underneath, Bombur was the cleverest man his brother knew. He could read a crowd in a moment, knowing what to say and what to cook. He listened and heard more than anyone expected and far more than he would admit to. And he could carry full cauldrons if necessary, through the whole camp if needed to feed all of his people.

On the surface, they were the worst trio to give a child to. The child would be neglected, allowed to run wild, interested in nothing but itself.

Underneath, they were the best thing that had ever happened to Kíli. They tended every hurt, fed him first. They sang to him and cuddled him. They taught him everything they could. He grew up free, open, and honest, so sure of his place with them that it was like steel in his core.


	87. Eating Out - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Thorin's intentions are better than his plan.

Bell was very firmly a woman of duty. She kept her boarding house clean and well stocked, she did the washing and mending as perfectly as she could, she fed her boarders the best she could buy.

The first time Thorin wanted to buy her a meal, she dithered about it for most of an hour before accepting. And then she worried she had made the wrong decision for hours after.

She was extravagant in preparing the evening meal that night. There was more than enough of everything, and more than she usually made for a meal. She cleaned the dining room, dusting, sweeping, mopping, polishing. She laid out all the places, and the food that could be safely at room temperature was put on the table in covered dishes or plates with towels over them.

Thorin watched everything with amazement, and wondered if he had been wrong to make the offer. When he had enough money to treat Dís, it was a chance for her to sit for once and be cared for. He was offering a break, but this wasn't one. Bell would worry all through the meal that her boarders were going hungry.

The next time, Thorin invited Bell for a luncheon in town.


	88. Mirror - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo thinks he knows how he looks.

There were few mirrors in Bag End, and most of them were small ones for checking hair. But there was one big one in the master bedroom where Bilbo could check to make sure his clothes looked as good on him as off him. He was not so round as he would have liked - rangy like a Took, all knees and elbows when he had been a tween - but he did have a respectable tummy. His curls were neat, both on his head and on his feet. He wore colors that were rich but not too bright, fine fabrics that showed his wealth.

The first time he was able to look in a mirror after joining the Dwarves was in Rivendell, and he had to stop and stare. He had thought it a joke that he could pass for a Dwarf, but he could. With his feet in boots and his ears covered by a hat, there was nothing to distinguish him as a Hobbit. And who would question the identity of one wearing Dwarf style clothing? The decoration on the tunic, the cabling on his hat, it all proclaimed him a Dwarf. He raised a hand to his cheek and wished he could grow a beard.


	89. Nightmare - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dís has a nightmare.

Dís rocketed out of sleep, clutching her blanket and her belly. Just a dream. It had been just a dream. She concentrated on breathing deeply, curling as much as she could and wrapping the blanket tight. She would get no more sleep that night.

She remembered being young and still in the mountain. She had sometimes had nightmares, though she could never remember them when she woke. She was just little and scared, and she would crawl into bed with her parents or her brothers and would be soothed.

But this time....

Her father was gone. Her mother was dead. Frerin was dead. Thorin had gone to draw pursuit. The only one left was Dwalin, and she couldn't crawl into his bed.

She held herself and held her unborn child and tried to feel safe. But she had dreamed of Lofar dead, Thorin dead, her child dead. And all she could do was scream.

All she could do was cry into her hands and cling to the feel of her child moving in her belly.


	90. Flat - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli has a better ear for music than his brother.

Fíli frowned and looked at the music again. He had read it right. He looked at his fingers on the neck of the violin. They were right as well. He pulled the bow across the strings and frowned again. The note was _wrong_. There was no doubt about it.

Perhaps he was out of tune. He put down the bow and checked the strings against each other. They were all in tune. He frowned fiercely and played the note again.

 _It was still wrong_.

He kept playing it, waiting for it to sound right, but it didn't and it kept not sounding right.

He was not prepared for Kíli to tackle him to the ground and he barely managed to keep his hold on his violin and keep it from smashing on the floor.

" _Flat_ ," he wailed. "The note is supposed to be _flat_!"

Fíli frowned, because his brother was only ten and how could he know just from listening? But he shook Kíli off and pulled his fingers back slightly to make b-flat instead of b-natural.

It was _right_. He gasped and played it again. And he played the notes leading up to it and it fit in perfectly. He looked back at the music and saw the flat in the key signature. How had he missed it? How had Kíli known from across the room when he didn't know the song?

He looked at his little brother, who was finally smiling at him and nodding approval.


	91. Punch - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are some things you should not say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have actually been writing the past week, even if I haven't been posting. It's not my usual writing style so I'm not willing to post it until I have rather a lot more written and obsessively edited for style.
> 
> But I'm on break for the next two weeks or so, so I should have time to write both that and my current WIPs.

The pair of Dwarves walking behind Kíli were talking too loud for him to even try not to listen to them. He looked for a place to duck to the side and let them pass until he realized they were talking about him, at which point he began to listen shamelessly.

"Did you know he's a bastard?"

"How is that possible if the other one isn't?"

"They have different fathers."

There was a sharply indrawn breath and Kíli tensed and frowned.

" _Really_? A princess of Durin's line?"

"Her husband wasn't even dead five years before she leapt into another's bed. Shameless, that's what it is. And now she's princess of the kingdom as if she were a proper role model."

Kíli saw red. It was one thing to insult him. He knew he wasn't the proper picture of a prince. Not like Fíli. His brother was golden and perfect.

But to insult his mother. His beautiful, talented, strong mother. She had loved him enough to give him up. She had cried for him. She had remembered his birthday after all those years. She had endured a political marriage for the good of her people. She had nothing but good words for her husband. She loved his father with all her heart.

Dís was a perfect role model. And these Dwarves felt that they had the right to judge her? No. Kíli would not let them do that.

He turned on his heel. There was a split second in which one of them recognized him.

And then his fist flew.


	92. Spider Web - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo encounter spiders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I try not to write shorts ahead of where I am in writing the Zoo AU or Boarding. I am not good at planning ahead, and prefer not to have to. But I think it's safe to assume that there will be spiders in Mirkwood. I don't think I've skipped them yet. So have a bit of a preview.

Cobwebs were things to sweep out of corners and spiders were tiny things to catch on the dust pan and move outside. That was how Bilbo had always known them. But the world was bigger than he had ever dreamed, and Mirkwood turned everything he knew inside out.

He tugged futilely at the strands of web around his legs. This wasn't a fine, hanging thread that would get tangled in your hair. This was thick as rope and just as strong. He would need a stronger broom to sweep these out of corners.

He was aware that he was a bit hysterical, but he thought it was understandable. Something had started to wrap him in spider silk like he was a meal. Something that could produce spider silk thick as his thumb had been close enough in the night to wrap his legs past all hope of moving and he hadn't woken.

Mirkwood was an awful, terrible place. Thankfully, he could still pull his sword from its scabbard and he cut his way out of the prison. Then he was able to look around, trying to find the Dwarves again while there was some light.

That's when he saw the spiders.


	93. Pills - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calce has trouble with the laundry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was trouble (which is why it's so short). I don't tend to picture Middle Earth using medical pills, so I had to go look at other meanings and work out which worked best and...
> 
> Not one of the best, but....

Bell came upon Calce, amazed to find the girl practically in tears over her washing. Sure, she knew it wasn't a favored chore, but tears?

"What's wrong, my darling?"

Calce turned and threw herself into her mother's arms. "Every time I wash it it pills!" she wailed.

Bell looked over and saw that her daughter had been struggling to remove pills from the washing. She smiled and hugged the girl close, kissing her head. "You're scrubbing too hard, my heart. Let me show you."


	94. Rich - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Opinions on wealth differ.

Being rich was easy after being poor, Bofur thought. Finally, they could eat properly. Finally, they had clothes that weren't threadbare. Finally, they didn't have to worry about medicine. After being poor as squirrels in winter all their lives, being rich was easy.

Being rich again was hard, Thorin thought. Not that it had been easy being poor, but he knew what to do then. He traveled and worked. He brought money and food to his family. He had a purpose then. He still had one now, but it came with responsibilities for far more than his family.

He had always worked for Erebor, but now he had to think of Dale and Mirkwood, far off Gondor and Harad, the Shire in the West, the Iron Hills in the east. And always, it came back to money. And he found that in the long years of exile he'd forgotten the value of mooney and he had to relearn it and do so quickly.

Wealth was more of a burden than he had remembered, young as he had been when he had lost it. And while he would not trade what they had accomplished - not for anything - being rich was hard.


	95. Crawl - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dís has a surprise.

"You look ridiculous."

They looked up to see Dís in the doorway, a fond smile on her face.

"Mama!" Fíli cried happily from his perch on Frerin's shoulders, tugging so hard on her brother's hair that he winced.

"And what's absurd about it?" Thorin asked, managing to sound mature despite lying on his belly next to Kíli on the floor.

She looked at him and gave a laugh. "You'd think you two were the children."

"Hey, we're older than you!" Frerin protested.

"At least _I_ can walk," she said with asperity.

"Of course we can walk," Thorin answered, taking the same tone. "But as Kíli is having trouble with that skill, it's best we're down here."

"Kíli's age is counted in months, Thorin. He can't even crawl yet."

Thorin shot her a smug smile. "Of course he can." He turned to the baby, leaning in closer, and his voice turned to a coo that made Dís' mouth twitch with the effort of holding back her smile. "Kíli, go to mama."

He gave the boy a pat on his padded rump and looked up at Dís. Kíli did as well, mouth stretching into the smile that made her melt. And then he began moving toward her, belly dragging on the floor as he pulled him self forward with his arms, legs kicking behind for added momentum.

Frerin and Fíli cheered and clapped their hands. It was the sound that had brought her to the room in the first place, so it seemed that this was what they had been doing. She dropped to her knees and scooped Kíli up when he got close.

"You brilliant boy," she praised, holding him close. And he cooed his pleasure, clinging and kicking. She looked at her smug brothers and her beaming three-year-old. "Brilliant boys," she murmured, smiling at all three of them.


	96. Garden - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo is determined to make the mountain bloom.

Brave words to Dís aside, it was not light gardening to make the western face of the Lonely Mountain bloom. The main problem, of course, was that it was a _mountain_. The soil was thin and rocky - any cover had been washed away in the century and more that it had lain bare under the tender ministrations of a dragon. It hadn't been turned in longer than that.

It was late April when the caravan had arrived, and it felt like he would be preparing the one valley for planting until he had to leave. And then it would just be the same the next year, because the winter would undo all his hard work. He had started to give in to despair by the time Fíli and Kíli brought the Dwarves to his aid.

And then it was only days for the rocks to be moved - and they would be wonderful for outbuildings and paths in the coming years - the soil turned, the compost and manure tilled in. Bilbo paid everyone who helped with coins from his share of the treasure, and he took his turn in the kitchens making treats for his workers.

Even with the help, it was August before anything could be planted. Thankfully, he had seedlings and bushes to transplant, and those would help hold things together over winter. And he had autumn seeds and bulbs in his stock.

He and Balin drew up a map of the valley and he divided into plots. The trees mostly went to the west, clustered to stave off wind and provide shelter from the open end of the valley. Scrubby berry bushes marched the sides of the mountain itself, to help keep runoff from getting too heavy and hold what had been added to the soil where it was needed. The valley floor he sowed liberally with fast growing grasses and autumn flowers. There would be time next year to plant vegetable crops, but so late in the season, when he wasn't going to be around to harvest, it was best to put down the cover crops that would make the next season more fruitful.

A dozen years later, the families who had transplanted themselves from had turned the valley into a little piece of the Shire. Bilbo was proud every time he saw it.


	97. Wrap - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dori takes care of his brothers.

The first weeks - the first months - after their parents' deaths, Ori didn't sleep well. He woke in the middle of the night with screaming night terrors as he hadn't since he was a toddler, and Dori had to run to calm him.

The boy wasn't properly awake, of course. He was sitting in bed and screaming but he didn't respond to outside stimulus. He wasn't awake. Dori would wrap him in a blanket and pull him close, rocking the boy.

And eventually the screaming would fade to whimpers and become sobs as Ori woke. He didn't remember what the night terror was, but it left a gaping hole in his heart and he had to cry it out when he finally woke. Dori always curled around him, crying as well though he tried to hide it.

The night terrors faded over time as Ori's grief faded, but Dori never lost the habit of looking in on him. And Ori never forgot the safety of being in his brother's arms, wrapped tight in his blankets, warm and safe and loved.


	98. Power - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli is one of the most powerful men in Erebor (and honestly, probably all of the continent).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is very hard to write something when my brain just wants to work on the newest project. So so hard. T_T

You wouldn't think Kíli was one of the most powerful men in Erebor. He dressed simply. He spoke directly. If asked, he would insist - sincerely insist - that he was just a hunter, just a tanner. He didn't act like a prince and the family of kings. He seemed to forget that he was one of Durin's line, beloved dragon slaying hero of the kingdom.

Fíli sometimes reflected that this attitude was why he was so powerful. Everyone was comfortable around Kíli. 

Nobility loved the romantic tale of a prince raised among commoners. 

Commoners loved that he understood their troubles. 

Women loved that he treated them with the same respect and consideration that he treated men. 

Men loved that he listened seriously to everything they said. 

Children loved that he would get on the floor and play with them. 

Dwarves loved that he always thought of what they needed first.

Elves loved that he treated them as very tall Dwarves.

Men loved that he acted as though they were no difference.

Hobbits loved that he was willing to do anything and eat everything.

Everyone loved Kíli. So everyone would work to make him happy.

Fíli knew he shouldn't, but he tried to get Kíli involved in every treaty and mediation he could. Things went so much smoother when everyone listened to one another. And they would listen if Kíli asked them to.


	99. Memorial - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo remembers his parents.

After leaving Bag End, the only thing Bilbo had left of his parents was a single painting. A single painting he couldn't show to anyone because of the disguise he was keeping up. A single painting of people he couldn't acknowledge. When he spoke of a mother, it had to be the Dwarf woman he had never met. When he spoke of a father, it was of a man who had died bravely getting his fellows out of the way of a rockslide.

All he had was a single painting. A single painting and memories.

When they stopped to rest, if he saw one of his mother's - his Hobbit mother's - favorite flowers, he picked it. Ori soon gave him a book he could use to press them without having to bother his friend.

As they traveled, he could name the trees and plants as his father - his Hobbit father - had taught him. Kíli listened to him sometimes and copied him, sometimes sharing the Khuzdul and sometimes just learning the names.

And once the flowers were dry, he drew in the book. He drew all the things they passed and named them. Drew them with care, as he'd been taught. Named them with love, as he'd been taught.

All he had was a single painting he couldn't show anyone. And a book of nature that could be shared with the world.


	100. Pretend - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frerin and Bungo play all kinds of games.

In their games, the boys were everything and anything. They were wandering wizards, lighting fireworks like the wizards in their mother's stories. They were Rangers of the north, fighting Trolls and Orcs and saving villages. They were wandering entertainers, telling tales and tumbling across the continent, collecting information and making people laugh. They were wandering orphans, raised in the wild and the chosen heroes who would save the world. They were princes, ruling all of the Dwarves of Bree fairly and justly.

The Dwarves of Bree always played along with them. Nori snuck them firecrackers to create their magic. Ori would cower and beg for help as they killed a whole Orc pack on their own. Dori tossed them coins and asked for songs. Bifur wisely trained them to face their destiny. Bombur asked if he could put up a sign that said "patronized by the princes."

The Dwarves of Bree liked their last game best. The boys would be stopped to help settle disputes (mostly between other children, but even they knew adults took care of adults). "How are our young princes today?" more than one trader in the market asked. They were often passed treats and small toys, and when they held out their pennies they were shooed away with a laugh.

It was a pretend game that they enjoyed, all the more for everyone else pretending with them.


	101. Mountains - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Dwarves of Erebor live in new mountains.

Mountains were rock and ore and gems. Mountains were proof against cold and rain and wind. Mountains were places where it was never silent, and always dark. Mountains were home.

They ran wires through Ered Luin to banish the darkness and out up walls and insulation to create quiet. They built the rails down into the bowels of the mountains to bring down the miners and bring up the rock.

They built a life in Ered Luin. But it was never Erebor.


	102. Rule - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Expecting fathers discuss rules for children.

"What kind of rules do you think you'll use?"

Kíli looked over at his brother, feeling a bit lost at the question. "...The usual ones, I suppose?"

"Like what?" Fíli insisted. "What were your rules growing up?"

Kíli shrugged, because there hadn't been many and even fewer specifically said. "Don't go out alone. Until I was old enough, of course. Don't touch the fire, be careful of things that were sharp."

Fíli, it turned out, had had many more. Don't talk to strangers. Don't take things from strangers. Don't eat anything that wasn't prepared at home. Always be in shouting range.

The last one, he confided, had been enforced right up until the quest and he still felt strange being out of shouting distance sometimes.

"But Fíli," Kíli pointed out, "they had to protect you from agents of the White Mountains. Our children won't need that much protection."

"But they'll need more than you did," Fíli returned.

And he did have a point there. So the brothers sat and put their heads together over what was necessary and what was too stifling.


	103. Celebration - Drengur

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twenty years after the quest, a kingdom-wide jubilee is declared.

It had been twenty years, and no stretch of twenty had ever seemed longer. Twenty years since taking back Erebor. Twenty years since the death Smaug. Twenty years that a madman had been on the throne pretending to be his beloved cousin.

Some days it was more than Óin could bear and he considered leaving, going west like his brother, back to Ered Luin and whatever could still be gleaned there. But then, this was his fault and he couldn't leave.

It was twenty years, and a grand celebration had been proclaimed to honor it. A grand feast was to be prepared and shared with even the poorest. The whole mountain was being decked with streamers and lanterns, bells and ornaments. The rest of the company was finally being acknowledged so they could be paraded through the mountain for the glory of the madman who called himself king.

And, because their king had no concern for any but himself, Óin and the other healers were working overtime. Dwarves falling off ladders an d breaking limbs, children crushed by wagons that weren't paying attention to where they were going, workers tired to the bone and blistered as professionals normally weren't.

Taxes had been raised, of course. There was plenty of money in the treasury, but why should the king have to pay for his own celebration? It made Óin angry, but there was nothing he could do about it. The king knew of his involvement - knew of his knowledge - so all he could do was keep his head down and provide healing for those in need.


	104. Temperamental - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Babies are temperamental. Usually.

Babies were temperamental, screaming one minute, laughing the next. That was what everyone said. Bell wasn't sure how Dís ever managed to sleep with the stories she told. But Bell had few stories of that kind from her own brood.

Calce had been the first and had so much attention she never needed to have a temper. She was coddled; changed almost before she could note that she was wet, fed before she was hungry, passed from one set of arms to the next so she was never alone and never needed to beg for attention. She rarely cried, and only occasionally did anything more demonstrative than coo. She was a contented baby, and that was enough.

The twins weren't criers themselves. They kept one another entertained and laughed far more than they screamed. It was when they were quiet that you had to watch out for them. When they were quiet they were up to something, even as babies.

Amber was her fierce little warrior. She screamed sometimes when she needed something, but she never ever cried. She would laugh when her brothers were near, but they were the only ones who could get her to do that. Which wasn't to say that she was never happy unless they were there, but she rarely showed it.

Pearl was their little enigma. She waited patiently for everything from a young age. Even if she needed changing, even if she was hungry, she waited. And when someone was there she would give a single cry just to call attention and then wait again. If she was hungry, she would open her mouth, if she needed changing, she would wriggle, if she just wanted to be picked up, she would flail her arms.

No, Bell's children were not temperamental, but they were no less tiring than the other kind.


	105. Letters - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli teaches his son to write.

Kíli showed the small boy how to hold the pen in his hand and smiled as he was copied with a serious frown. They had started with drawing lines and squiggles on the paper, and they were finally ready to move on to letters.

Othil first. Kíli remembered the broken fence post that had cemented it in his mind. He said the name and the sound and let his son copy it.

Then not. "See? He said. "It's smiling." He smiled at the boy but didn't get one in return.

Ur. A diamond with legs. The shaky copy underneath reminded Kíli of all those nights writing with sticks in the dirt and how patient Ori had always been with him.

Last was rehit. 

And after they had written it, Kíli asked what it said. His son frowned in concentration and sounded out each letter they had written. "Onur!" he exclaimed finally, smile brightening his face.

"Yes, my lad," Kíli said, watching the boy start copying the letters again. "This is you and it always will be."


	106. Lies - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If the mountain, Bilbo reflects on things he was told.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Severely late today. First I was very focused on getting up the chapter of You Can Only Go Up that I didn't finish last night. Then, halfway through the day, I realized I had rolled the exact same prompt and 'verse that I did last time (you can go to chapter 50 if you want to read lies in the Boarding 'verse). So then I had to think up what lies in Life Debt I was going to write about....
> 
> And here it is, not even two hours from my bedtime, and it's finally getting up! Such is my determination not to miss a day.

Thorin whispered all kinds of scandalous things in bed. Bilbo had discovered this when they were in Laketown. He had blushed to the tips of his ears as Thorin murmured outrageous endearments into them. When the Dwarf had said exactly what he wanted to do to Bilbo, the words starting inside the shell of his ear as it was nibbled and licked, the blush spread down his chest (although he was in no way loath to have any of the things done).

And when, both sated and near sleep, he felt more than heard Thorin call him the most precious of treasures, he blushed again, pleased beyond measure.

He should have known that all the pretty words were lies....


	107. Decay - Line of Durin

The problem wasn't only the smell, although that was more than bad enough. The problem was that there had been no one but a dragon in the mountain for over a century. And while Dwarves built things to last, that long with no upkeep was more than enough. Add in a dragon who had wrought destruction and _didn't care_ , and it spelled disaster for Erebor.

Thorin despaired for his beautiful kingdom. Once the initial glow of _finally_ being home again had worn off, he started seeing how much work was needed.

Pillars had been destroyed, leaving whole caverns unstable. Food stores were rotted and had stained and damaged kitchens and pantries. Cloth and wood turned to dust at a touch.

And everywhere, the dead.

He had retaken a kingdom of ghosts, and it would be a lot of time and work before Erebor lived again.


	108. Serenity - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo can face the future serenely.

He was continually worried about being found out, there were Orcs who wanted them dead, there was a dragon at the end of the road. But somehow, this was the best Bilbo had lived in years.

He was surrounded by people who cared for him. He had brothers who joked and played with him, which he had never had before. He was learning new things - both martially and linguistically.

He had been determined from the start to help them, because their song moved his heart. But now there was an edge of iron to his determination. He would do it, no matter what. And even with a dragon and who knew what else waiting for him, all the good things made this the best time of his life and Bilbo faced the future serenely.


	109. Passion - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo is passionate about Thorin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very very short.

Bilbo had lived a quiet life and wasn't prepared for how much would change when he and Thorin came together. He had never felt attracted to others before, but all that meant was that he had 50 years of pent up sexuality screaming to come out.

When he returned from the Shire, it was more than a day before he let Thorin out of their room. He even ignored meals, which was unprecedented for a Hobbit at all and this Hobbit in specific. But when there was so much to touch and feel and make love to, how could the needs of his belly compare out the needs of his libido?


	110. Ring - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo gets a ring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have completely not figured out what I'm doing with that pesky ring of power yet. So have another ring.

Fíli and Kíli each had a ring on a chain around their necks. Bilbo didn't see them until the first time they all bathed together. Everything else came off, leaving them all bare before each other, but the chains stayed where they were.

He drifted over to examine them, trying to do so out the side of his eyes and avoid attention. He thought he had succeeded, eyes tracing the lines of the ring Kíli wore while he looked to have all attention on his bath, until something was dropped over his head and he looked up to see Fíli grinning down at him.

"This one is Dad's," he said. "Kíli has Ma's."

Bilbo lifted the large ring, seeing cirth lining the inside and trying to make out what it said. That he couldn't was no surprise and he slowly ran his fingers over the ring, feeling the wear and the love in it.

Fíli smiled at him as he explored, only speaking again when he went to pull the chain up. "No no. My younger brothers should both have the extra protection of our parents' rings."

He wasn't really their brother and these weren't his parents. He wanted to protest that Fíli shouldn't lose his keepsake for a disguise. But Fíli had already moved back to splash at Kíli, and Bilbo's hand closed tight around the ring.


	111. Missing - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dís misses something.

The first months of separation, Dís kept turning to say something to Michael only to find him not there. It shouldn't have been a question, really. She had moved back to her parents' house where there was more than enough room for her and two small boys. But the fact remained that Michael was a missing presence.

She had the large bed to herself. She reached out a hand first thing in the morning to find cold sheets. She went to bed at night and was careful to keep to her side even though there was no one on the other side. Michael was missing.

Perhaps if they had an angry separation it would have been different. But they just came to understand, in the wake of his death, that Frerin had been half of what was keeping them together. And despite what the Beatles would have had you believe, love wasn't all you need.

They had come to the decision to split up together, amicably. They had come to terms easily and without lawyers. He had trusted them enough to have her brother draw up the final papers. They were still friends. She knew it was better this way.

But when she came home at night, he wasn't there. When she went to bed, he wasn't there. When she wanted to talk or to joke, he wasn't there. Michael was missing.


	112. Powerless - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fíli isn't used to being powerless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This marks the end of this round of prompts. As I currently have my writing muses going, I'm going to stop here and wait a while before starting a new round.

Fíli watched the trio leave and felt more helpless than he had since he woke up after the battle and couldn't see. His uncle stood next to him, trembling almost imperceptibly, and there was nothing he could do. His brother, who he couldn't remember being without, was leaving and there was nothing he could do. His dear friend was leaving and there was nothing he could do. Bilbo was leaving, breaking his uncle's heart and his own, and there was nothing he could do.

There had always been something he could do. He could back Kíli up in a fight. He could make his uncle laugh. He could help with the cooking and cleaning because his mother needed the break. He could learn his history and politics to try and take some of the burden off his uncle.

He could give up his helmet to protect his brother. He could pay attention to Ori so he felt like part of the group and not an outsider. He could learn Bifur's iglishmêk for the same reason.

There was always _something_.

It was only with a fresh head wound and eyes that didn't work that he had ever felt this powerless.


	113. Threat - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin wants to do what's right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I did no writing yesterday and when I realized I had no thoughts toward writing today I figured it was time to bring out my dice and make myself write.
> 
> The d6 has been upgraded to a d8.  
> 1\. Life Debt  
> 2\. Line of Durin  
> 3\. Boarding  
> 4\. Modern AU  
> 5\. Zoo AU  
> 6\. Drengur  
> 7\. You Can Only Go Up  
> 8\. One of the verses from the gender challenge shorts (there are several of those I'd like to expand on)
> 
> Having rolled an 8 today, I chose to add to [this one](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1335373/chapters/2902849) that is a modern one. This story takes place two and a half years before the linked one.
> 
> This chapter has character death, rigid gender roles, and characters who are dicks.

Kíli only cried in private and Fíli didn't seem to cry at all, both of them affecting perfect stoic _manliness_ despite being fourteen and not-quite-twelve. It made Thorin want to murder his parents, because any time there was a hint that one of them was upset about _the death of their mother_ They were reminded that boys don't cry.

And indeed, only his mother had cried on their side of the coffin. Frerin and father stayed completely dry eyed and solemn as if Dís' death didn't affect them. Thorin wore his own tears proudly, and was the only one to tell the boys that if they were sad they could let him know and they would grieve together.

Thorin had been the first notified, because Dís named him as the guardian of her boys and the transfer had to be done swiftly. He had come. Of course he had come. He had notified his job that he had to take time off because of his sister's death, and brought his laptop with him so he could steal moments and do some work from a distance.

He slept on the couch at Dís' apartment while they packed everything the boys wanted to bring, divided up what she had to go to whoever she had left it to, notified bill collectors and utilities, worked through bank issues, and got ready to go back to Thorin's small house. It was overwhelming, and he was glad he wouldn't have to do it again. His parents wouldn't want him touching anything when they passed - Frerin would do it all.

But with the funeral over and everything finally packed for moving or placed in storage until they could decide what to do with it, it was finally time to leave. Thorin felt a bit bad about the amount of relief the decision gave him, because this home was all the boys knew and they had to have mixed feelings, but getting away from his parents and brother, away from this place that only had the echo of Dís. He could be nothing but glad for it.

The Kíli who met him at the door was ashen and tear streaked and threw himself into Thorin's arms. "Uncle Frerin says we're leaving tomorrow."

"We are," Thorin confirmed, holding the boy firmly.

"I don't want to go with uncle Frerin!" Kíli wailed.

Thorin stilled and knelt, taking Kíli by the shoulders. "You will not. You and Fíli are coming with me. I don't know what Frerin told you, but it's not true. You will be with me, I promise."

Kíli seemed reassured and Thorin wiped the damp cheeks tenderly. Then he walked out of the apartment again, because the boys shouldn't hear the conversation he was going to have with his brother.

"Of course we're taking them," Frerin said, almost before greeting him. "You could never be trusted with children."

"I have already been over the papers needed," Thorin hissed back. "They are coming with me, not going to that poisonous house."

"I'm sure the courts will understand out point if you make us take this to them," Frerin said, and Thorin heard the threat in it. His private life bared for strangers to gawk at. All the things he had worked for placed in jeopardy.

But there was no question. "I'll see you then," he snarled. "But you aren't getting those boys while I have breath."


	114. Remorseful - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bofur thinks he's not good enough to raise a prince.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is so much remorse in LoD that it took me a long time to figure out who was upset here.... Seriously, for a story that tends toward fluffy family feelings, _everyone is full of pain_.

"Common as muck, us."

Bombur nodded agreeably, attention more than half on the small boy playing with blocks in the middle of the room. He knew from experience that taking his eyes off Kíli would somehow result in the boy hanging from the ceiling.

"You feel we're doing him wrong?"

And now he turned to his brother. "What's all this noise?"

"Look at him," Bofur said, nodding to their sun browned, wild child. "He's a prince. We can't teach him how to be that. We can't teach him to read, or to act fine. We can tell him the histories, but we can't tell him how to greet great men and women. We can't teach him how to bargain with kingdoms."

Bombur shook his head. Leave it to usually light hearted Bofur to have this kind of doubt. "We can teach him how to treat any he meets, and we can teach him to think of the needs of others when he makes a bargain. We'll teach him to be self sufficient, how to find food and take care of himself. We'll make sure he has a craft. That's all any Dwarf needs."

"But he's _not_ just any Dwarf," Bofur insisted, and Bombur could see there would be no bringing him out of this self imposed sulk. "When they take him back, what if they think he's not good enough?"

"Then they're fools," Bombur answered heatedly. Their boy not good enough? Bifur's baby not good enough?

"Or maybe we are," Bofur sighed, tipping his hat forward over his eyes and not seeing the bright smile and shining eyes that no one could ever label 'not good enough.'


	115. Subtle - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwalin and Nori as seen from the outside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adding onto [this short](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1392592/chapters/2929531).

Nori was naturally secretive. Dori prided himself on being able to read her better than almost anyone, including their mother. Ori was better at it, but Nori had helped raise Ori, so Dori wasn't upset about that.

She was a thief. He was enough of a realist to admit that to himself. She was a thief, and a good one - she had brought them money and food before she'd even turned fifty. And he had never turned it down, because they needed more than he could make when he was practically a child himself.

Her tendency to hide things was good for her chosen profession, and the thievery made it worse. Over the years it became harder to tell what she was thinking and feeling. Dori worked hard to make sure he could give her what she needed, and Ori always seemed to know, but it was more of a struggle every year.

Each time she vanished - first for a few days, then months, and before the Quest it had been more than five years since he'd seen her - she came back with a sunnier smile and more that she was hiding. And this time was no different. This time, Dori had to look hard into her eyes to know when her smile was false - and she didn't often give him the time he needed. This time, when she laughed and assured Ori she was fine he believed her.

But Dwalin always frowned at that. He always frowned at Nori, so it probably didn't mean anything. He was a warrior, a noble, honest as the day was long and honorable before anything else. She was a thief and made no bones about her ability to pull things from the pockets of their companions. He had every reason to frown at her.

It was more thanhalfway to the Misty Mountains before Dori had any clue it was anything else. Nori shifted next to him, frowning at the warrior. "He's upset," she said. When Dori just murmured something assuring she shook her head. "He's _upset_. He must have fought with Thorin."

She easily evaded Dori's hands when he tried to hold her back. Not all Dwarves were as close with their emotions as she was. There was no way Dwalin was anything but what he showed and Dori didn't want her upsetting him.

He watched anxiously as she approached and said something soft to the warrior. And he hoped he was the only one watching when Dwalin's eyes widened slightly and then he gave the ghost of a smile to Nori. He must have been the only one watching, because the way the warrior wrapped his arms around the thief's waist and buried his face against her throat would have brought an uproar if anyone else saw.

Dori watched closer for the rest of the journey. He saw the way Nori's eyes cut over to Dwalin and the way her perpetual smile changed when she looked at him. He relearned how to read her using Dwalin as his primer. And he was glad of the warrior as he never thought he would be, because Nori's smile was real when she thought about him. And though he appreciated how they made each other easier, he wished he hadn't let Nori talk him out of packing her tea.

Ori noticed as well, and he was so open with his own emotions that it was a wonder that the rest of the company hadn't noticed when they finally won their home back. As it was, Nori and Dwalin were only obvious to their brothers but clearly thought no one had noticed at all.

So Dori was practiced at reading the unexpected subtlety of Dwalin's face when the warrior came to him and nervously asked for his sister's hand. When Dori gave his approval with no reservation, though, the resulting joy should have lit up the mountain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As mentioned in the initial short, the earliest food and money Nori brings home is not from thievery, despite what Dori thinks. And the tea mentioned is a contraceptive. Which Nori doesn't think she needs, but she can't exactly tell Dori that, can she?


	116. Museum - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ori goes to the museum.

he first time Ori went to the museum he was seven years old and his parents had recently died. He'd been having screaming night terrors and clinging to Dori as if he'd vanish the instant Ori closed his eyes, and Dori was desperate to do something that would remind him that the world had more than sorrow in it.

They had walked to the museum hand in hand, Ori hanging off his brother because he was young and tired and grieving and didn't want to do anything. But the instant Dori pointed out the art on the walls, Ori was enthralled.

For a few hours he completely forgot about his brother. He walked from picture to picture, sculpture to sculpture, photograph to photograph, examining the colors and shapes. He stepped up as close as he could, looking at brush strokes an pencil lines. He tried to figure out what photographs would look like from a slightly different angle. He walked around statues and looked at them from every side.

When he finally came back to Dori's side, he was flushed and smiling and had forgotten his troubles. He slipped his hand into his brother's, swinging it enthusiastically. He chattered the whole way home, Dori smiling at him and listening.

That day he decided he wanted to make something that could be in a museum someday.


	117. Glass - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bifur contemplates glass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Timestamp: winter 1996-1997

Bifur sipped his cocoa alongside Bilbo and contemplated glass. He knew that wasn't what the other man was thinking about as they watched the snowstorm rage outside the apartment, but Bifur's mind was as much on the wonder of the inside as the fury and majesty of outside.

The windows let them see the outside. They let in light and all the information about the world around them that they could want. But other than a touch of chill, all the cold remained on the other side. All the wet remained outside.

Bifur and his cousins had only spent two weeks without a home - two weeks in the middle of autumn - but that was enough time to let him know what a miracle a home was. A place you could stay warm and dry. A place where your things were, and where you could live with the people you loved. A place you could _come back to_.

And nothing reminded him more of what they had been given when they met the Bagginses than looking out the window at the rage of winter.


	118. Blackboard - Life Debt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing practice is different between Dwarves and Hobbits.

Bilbo thought that education was very important. The lower classes of the Hobbits weren't taught to read and write, but he had always thought they should be. Reading and writing were the things that enabled you to do what you wanted instead of just what your father did, after all.

The Dwarves understood Bilbo's priorities. They set up schools almost before they cleaned out homes. And Bilbo was with them, cleaning rooms, buying seats and desks, procuring paper and ink (although the Dwarves wouldn't buy quills because they made pens that were better quality than any feather).

He laughed when he saw that every desk had rocks on them. Leave it to Dwarves to put rocks in education. Thorin just raised a brow at him.

"You want to waste paper on new writers?"

"How will rocks help?"

This time Thorin laughed. He picked up a slab of what looked like slate and a white, crumbly stick of rock. When he drew it across the slate it left a white line. And then he wiped his sleeve across it and the line was gone. He smiled up at Bilbo and started to idly write on the board as he spoke.

"This way they get practice without waste. They can do things over and over, long past the time they would fill up a sheet of paper. The paper should be saved for the best quality work. Slate and chalk are fine for practice."

As they walked out, Bilbo glanced down and saw that Thorin had written their names on the slate, interlocked circles joining them together.


	119. Chocolate - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo gets to taste something new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one gave me some trouble. Cacao is South American, and Middle Earth is specifically Europe. Of course, in that case there shouldn't be tomatoes or potatoes, because I'm pretty sure those are New World as well, so.... (Still, there's a reason they don't use "tobacco" in Lord of the Rings.)
> 
> Also, Bilbo has a pretty skewed view of the world outside the Shire.

"Here, Bíli, eat this."

Bilbo looked at the brown square Kíli held out to him suspiciously.

"I've saved it all this time. Have a piece," his brother insisted, waving the square of food in front of him.

Bilbo did as he was asked, nibbling into it carefully, his eyes still on his brother. Kíli grinned when Bilbo's eyes popped open at the sweetness of what he was eating. He finished the square quickly, licking his lips to get the last of the taste.

"What was that?"

"Chocolate. It's something you don't have in the Shire. It comes up from Near Harad and we don't know where they grow or trade for it."

"How is it used for war?" Bilbo asked curiously.

Kíli stilled, eyes widening almost in pain. "Not everything is used for war, Bíli...." he said softly. Before Bilbo knew what was happening he was crushed to the Dwarf's chest. "Not everything is turned to dark purposes. When this is over, I will show you things that are only good. I promise."

Somehow, Kíli never ate any of the bar of chocolate. It all went to Bilbo.


	120. Magic - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo has a birthday tradition that he introduces to Frodo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, of course. I get the prompt "magic" with the one storyline I have that doesn't have magic in it! And then I realized I could introduce Gandalf, who I have _so many ideas about_ and haven't had a place to put in any of the "official" stories. (His name, by the way, is self chosen. And if this weren't a fanfic, it would be Merlin.)
> 
> Timestamp: September 22, 2013

Gandalf Thoth was 90 years old and still touring. And, perhaps because he was so old, he always drew a crowd. He was a spry old man who, in true magician fashion insisted it was all real and never gave away his secrets.

Bilbo had been trying to find out the secrets since he was a child, but Gandalf just twinkled at him and changed the subject. Bilbo felt like the old man had barely changed in the forty years he actually had memory of him. He had always had a long beard and sparkling blue eyes. He had always worn grey robes with silver threads woven through at random intervals to catch the light.

Gandalf had been uncle Hildigrim's friend first, but had grown close with Belladonna as well. He had been around for as long as Bilbo could remember and had always made sure to have a show for Bilbo's birthday. Bilbo and his mother had gotten free entry, and then Gandalf had added Bifur to the free tickets as well.

This year they were back up to three tickets. Frodo was dead excited to go to a magic show and Bilbo was bouncing with happiness to share the tradition. He was a grown man - almost middle aged - but he had never gotten over the childish wonder to see Gandalf produce fire in his hands, turn things colors, and make things float off the ground.

And seeing Frodo's face when Gandalf greeted him, nearly folding himself in half to get down to the level of the boy who was so much smaller, Bilbo just added it to the magic Gandalf had that he would never truly understand.


	121. Impulse - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin is not an impulsive man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The shortest of shorts today. But really, if I tried to add more I think it would detract.

Thorin was not impulsive. Every action he took was thought out beforehand. It was how he thought of himself and how the pele of Bree thought of him.

All except his wife. Because Bell saw him when he was half asleep and there was no chance he was thinking out his actions. And the number of times that Bell woke with fingers wound into her hair when they hadn't been there before surprised her in the beginning.

Thorin wasn't impulsive. But he couldn't keep his hands out of Bell's hair.


	122. Semantics - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The meaning of words makes all the difference.

The halfs were not eagerly accepted into Erebor's population. They were tolerated, but in many cases only just. And though they were willing and eager to learn, there were few willing to teach them anything.

Ori was lucky that Dóra - who insisted they all call her Mother - was one who was as eager to teach as he was to learn. They went well together, and he learned to read and write quickly. He learned Khuzdul and Sindarin, poetry and composition. He learned music and housekeeping. He learned everything he could, and wished the other halfs could have the same.

"It's just a matter of semantics," Mother said.

"What's semantics?" Ori asked curiously.

"The things words mean when put together. You and the others are called 'half,' which implies you're less, not worth anything. I don't see that when I look at you." She framed his narrow, white face with her hands. And even without a mirror her knew that her pale hands looked dark and dirty against him. "When I see you, I see someone I am proud to call a Dwarf and my son. When others see the same, no one will deny you."


	123. Honor - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Dwarves of Erebor still have honor.

The Dwarves of Erebor had honor. Even homeless. Even traveling penniless through the wilderness, they have honor.

It was an idea that Thorin clung to over the years. He allowed Men to gouge him on prices and stiff him on payments because he had no choice - he needed the goods and the payment. But he still had his honor. They made their homes in other peoples' kingdoms as poor relations and paupers. But they still had their honor.

He was branded a murderer. _But he still had his honor_. Even when Ginnar, king of the White Mountains, tried to wrest it from him with false accusations. Even when he had to beg for a berth in a caravan because they had fled with nothing. Even when everyone eyed him suspiciously for being of Erebor, for being a Dwarf, for the gold sickness of his line.

Even when he was the only one who knew it, he still had his honor.


	124. Dispose - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur don't like to throw things out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this is late....

Living hand to mouth, the Caryses never really got rid of things. Clothes were seen and patched long past the time when most people would have just gotten new ones. They played with toys until long after their soldiers should have been honorably discharged. They used every scrap from the food they bought and never threw away leftovers (not that the ever had leftovers, because they ate everything).

Moving in with Bilbo and Belladonna made for a huge change in their lives. It was a long time before they could be trusted to replace things on their own, and the way they clung to everything they owned was strange to the two who had never known need. It was one thing to keep a favorite sweater until even the elbow patches were worn through, but quite another to do the same for _every shirt_.

But things were never just _things_ to the Caryses. Because they had so little and could afford less, they had always chosen what they bought carefully. Cost the things they had were all meaningful to them, and it was a habit they never broke. They only bought things they absolutely needed, but when they had to buy them they tried to get only ones they liked.

And then they held on for as long as they could. Just as they held onto each other.


	125. Blaze - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fires around slaves are messy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of death, mentions of Orcs eating Dwarves, thoughts of suicide, PTSD
> 
> I think that covers this chapter's warnings, but let me know if I missed anything.

Sometimes Nori didn't like being in small places. Usually he thought of them as safe - places others couldn't get in. But sometimes they were traps.

He had still been a child, not even fifty, when there was a fire in the factory. The overseers and Masters who were in the building had run, desperate to save themselves. But that was when the slaves had still been chained to their stations, so the workers couldn't get away.

He could remember the screams. He was working on the lower floor and the fire started up high in the building. Most of the slaves on the upper floors died. They died screaming, chained to their stations or trying to cut themselves apart to be free to run. They died charred black and weren't even good for the Masters' dinner after that.

Those left on the lower floors scrabbled with the locks on their chains, blunting and breaking tools to try and get free. Nori had palmed a piece of metal, long and narrow and sharp. But it wasn't for the lock - he destroyed everything else he could reach in trying to open it. But not that one thing. That one he saved for himself, so he wouldn't die screaming the way the others had.

Shapechangers were the ones to come douse the blaze. The Masters would never risk their own on it. They made chains of buckets. They stamped on flames fallen from the ceiling. They closed off whatever areas they could and threw burning matter from the building. Nori watched them, listening to the silence from the upper floors where there was no one left to scream and the rumble and clatter as the ceiling fell on those on the lower floors around him.

They were left there that night, the locks and chains too hot from the fire to open. And then they were left in the slave cavern for months while others rebuilt the factory and reforged the broken tools. And when they were sent back, they weren't chained down. Too much time was lost. Too many needed to be newly trained. In the case of an emergency, it was worth more to have them able to run than to make sure they couldn't normally.

It was a long time before Nori could put up with any warmth that came from a fire, and if he didn't have his brothers around him he was content to be cold. And sometimes he dreamed of the screams and shivered even on the warmest nights.


	126. Neglect - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Legolas doesn't have attentive parents.

Everyone was talking about the senior trip. Kíli often found himself babbling about it excitedly to his family, talking about all the things they were going to do. There was so much that he was planning that it took him over a week to realize how haggard and unhappy Legolas looked.

"What's wrong?" he finally asked.

Legolas shrugged, poking at his lunch. "Couldn't get the form signed. Mom and dad are both out of town."

"At least it's quiet at home?" Kíli said uncomfortably, aware of how mean his excitement could seem.

Legolas snorted. "Housekeeper took the week off to go to a family thing. They knew about it almost a year ago but didn't get anyone in as a replacement because they were going to be away as well."

"But you're home," Kíli pointed out, growing more aghast. "Have you been living on sandwiches this week?"

His friend shrugged again and made no verbal answer.

Kíli reached out and gripped his arm. "You're staying with us until they get back. And my mom will get in touch with yours and make sure you can go on the trip."

Legolas finally looked at him, mouth twisting into a hopeful smile, and Kíli cursed his friend's parents.


	127. Audience - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli's first performance.

Kíli was seven at his first recital. Fíli had been in the one their violin instructor held the previous year to show off his students, but Kíli was too new to perform (and anyway, he had cried and begged not to).

But this year he was older and not a cry baby. And there was no way out, even if he didn't want to. So he stood back stage in his suit, pressed to Fíli's side, and waited. Fíli was called out for his solo piece and Kíli was able to sneak a peek out.

There were so many people! What if they hated him? What if he messed up and they all started laughing? What if he messed up so bad mom and uncle Thorin wouldn't want him anymore? He would embarrass himself by being awful on his violin and have to move in with cousin Dwalin.

Except Dwalin played the cello and wouldn't want anything to do with him when he failed. And all his family was at the recital, so they would all witness his downfall and throw him away together.

Fíli pushed him out onto the stage. He stumbled slightly but caught himself and walked out to the center as they'd practiced. And then he looked out into the audience, almost petrified with fear.

They were smiling at him, every one. He could see his family. He could see friends, and friends' parents. And they were all smiling and looked so happy to see him.

He raised his violin and played his piece, his heart soaring. He didn't even need the instructor's satisfied smile to know that he had played perfectly. And when the applause started, he forgot to take his bow and just stood there beaming out at them.

In the end, Fíli darted out to drag him off stage. Kíli couldn't wait to be on it again.


	128. Fight - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fíli's first fight.

Fíli had trained in weapons for years, but the Blue Mountains were peaceful. They had never so much as gone out to root out Orcs. The most excitement he'd ever had was when Thorin had Bifur take them out boar hunting to teach them how to be careful.

For all his bravado, he'd been quaking with fear when they saw the Trolls. And yet he, a trained warrior, had thrown Bilbo Baggins to them while he turned and ran. And the peaceful Hobbit showed less fear of the Trolls than he did.

Kíli show less fear. When Fíli came back with everyone else, Kíli was already shouting insults and fighting. And Fíli couldn't let his brother be stronger than he was. He pulled his swords and roared, leaping into the fray with reckless abandon. He had to prove - to his uncle, his people, his brother, himself - that he was a a fighter.


	129. Quarrel - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a quarrel. It expands to include Bilbo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....I had this mostly finished at noon and then had no chance to post it until 8pm. Some days....

It seemed quite sudden to Bilbo that Kíli wasn't speaking to Thorin. Every time his uncle was within his sight, Kíli sulked and glared at him. And any time Bilbo smiled and spoke pleasantly with Thorin, Kíli grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away, shooting glares over his shoulder as if they were arrows.

Thorin took it well. He seemed amused by the lengths of Kíli's annoyance, and spent days relaying instructions through Fíli. But when Bilbo asked what was going on, Thorin would only say that it wasn't his concern.

Bilbo couldn't get either of them to understand that it _was_ his concern. Kíli was his brother and Thorin was his uncle, and it was worrying to him that they weren't getting along. And it was his job to help them resolve their quarrel, but neither of them would tell him what it was, and without that knowledge there was nothing he could do.

Both of them became alarmed when Bilbo grew sullen around the both of them. He took to traveling with Fíli alone or with Dwalin or Ori. It seemed to them as sudden as their fight seemed to him. And, like them, he wouldn't even speak to tell them the problem.

It was Fíli who eventually took care of it. Not long after they got to Laketown, he presented Bilbo with a phone like his own. He sat down with Bilbo one afternoon and thoroughly explained everything about how to use the machine and how to take care of it. He had put his number, Kíli's, Thorin's, those of the rest of the company, and also their mother's into it and set it so it was a small number of steps for Bilbo to get in touch with any of them.

Then, after he dialed Dís' number and left Bilbo talking to her shyly, Fíli went and told Thorin and Kíli that their quarrel wasn't needed anymore. It didn't matter if Bilbo was ready for technology because he had it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After losing Bilbo in the mountains, Kíli wants to get him a cell but Thorin insists that they have to introduce him to technology slowly and a cell is too fast. Fíli obviously agrees with Kíli and feels that it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission.


	130. Queue - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin doesn't like lines.

Thorin Durin had many good qualities, and he would often be the first to expound on them. He was wealthy, well educated, athletic, attractive. Avd he was young, so he had plenty of time to become accomplished.

One thing he _wasn't_ was patient, and he was more than willing to admit it. He wouldn't stay at a restaurant if the wait was more than five minutes for a table. Certainly, it took longer to go elsewhere, but that was time he was _doing something_. He had a temper that being forced to inactivity brought out. It kept him playing ball with his friends even after taking his position at Durin Law, helping him keep his temper in check.

About the worst thing he could think of was to be on a slow moving line for a movie that he _could not leave_. Fíli and Kíli had been promised they could see this movie as soon as it came out. But both Dís and Michael were busy. Thorin was the only choice, and even in this he couldn't deny the boys.

So he stood on the line, one boy hanging off each hand and periodically spinning him in circles in their excitement. And around them were mothers and fathers and other small children screaming. Fíli and Kíli were among the best behaved, so excited they were nearly silent as they tugged on him and climbed on him.

 _Finally_ , they reached the head of the line. Thorin heard the theater employees talking worriedly about sold out showings and had a moment of horror that he had wasted all that time for _nothing_. But there were still enough tickets for the three of them and he breathed a sigh of relief and led the way into the theater.


	131. Lost - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin sometimes gets lost in Bree.

Thorin had excellent sense of self. This included his knowledge of who he was and what was expected of him, his knowledge of his own abilities, his knowledge of where his body was in a fight, and his knowledge of where he was in general. Thorin had a wonderful sense of direction.

And yet he sometimes got lost in Bree even after he had lived there for years.

It wasn't a problem with his sense of direction. Not at all. There were just some times that he got so caught up in his thoughts that everything around faded away and he just set one foot in front of the other and followed the road he was on.

The guard at the gate stopped him, checking his breath for drink, and that was the first indication that Thorin's worries about Gandalf and Erebor had kept him from his supper. Struggling to keep from blushing out of shame, he turned and examined the twilit roads, trying to find his way home.


	132. Stare - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo has always been stared at.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is part of The Hudson, which can be seen [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1145580/chapters/2319814), [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1155507/chapters/2366815), [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1392592/chapters/3052771), and [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1470961/chapters/3126028).

Everyone stared at Bilbo Baggins. They always had, even when he had been that strange girl who would rather run through the fields in her bloomers than wear skirts. And when he was old enough to make his own clothes rather than wearing what his mother purchased or made for him, he never wore skirts again. And if the waistcoats and trousers he made got him nothing but stares it was a good day.

It was different with the Dwarves, and it took more than a week for Bilbo to understand why. They didn't stare. Dwarves were different. He knew that. Dwalin had explained how different it was when they had met those years ago. But it was one thing to know something and quite another to have to live with it.

And he was surprised to find that he almost missed it. Not the stares themselves so much, but the attention. He always knew someone was paying attention to him in the Shire, but with the Dwarves he just seemed to fade away. It was as if every struggle he had made meant nothing, and he didn't like that. They easily treated him as a man and that was wonderful, but trying to head off the anger and defensiveness he always needed was hard.

He always been stared at. It took time to learn how not to be.


	133. Born - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin's heir is born.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Expanding [this one](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1335373/chapters/2813995).

The amount of people waiting vigil outside the house was rare. Even though births were rare, there were few willing to stand and wait the entire time. But Dís was a princess and her son would be the heir who would keep the line of Durin going, so they stood and prayed and waited.

A birth was a joyous occasion, a live birth where the mother lived even more so. And when the people out in the square heard the squall of a newborn early in the morning, they cheered. Outside the house became a festival, citizens forgetting how cold and tired they were as they sang and danced in celebration.

Inside was a different story. Of course Thorin and Dís were overjoyed by the birth. And the babe was a healthy one, large and already sucking contentedly. Golden hair crowned Thorin's new heir, a sign of favor they could show to the world.

But the child was a girl. A blessed girl, made to continue the line of Dwarves into the future. But a girl was not a political leader. A girl could not be a king. And both Thorin and Dís were aware of how quickly the celebration outside could turn into rioting.

They had only a moment to make a decision and not a word or a look passed between them, but they both knew what they needed to do. Once the child had finished eating, she was diapered and swaddled against the cold. Thorin took her from Óin, knowing his cousin would keep his own council no matter what happened.

He opened the door and there was an instant hush among the crowd. He lifted the child in his arms, keeping her close because it was frigidly cold in the predawn of the winter day.

"I present to you Fíli," he announced, voice reaching the farthest corners of the square. "The son of my sister, heir to my crown. Fíli of the line of Durin!"


	134. Hands of Fate - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwalin learns the mythos of the slave caverns.

There was a lot that Dwalin needed to learn, and a lot that the slaves said that he didn't understand. Hands, for example. They seemed to think a lot about hands.

Every time a fighter went to the Arena knowing they weren't strong enough to live, someone would say "the hands come for that one today."

Dwalin had been told "the hands give you much" because he kept winning.

Even his partner. When Dwalin asked if there wasn't _anything_ he wanted! the smaller Dwarf just shrugged and said "I'll take what the hands give."

It was the little one (his name was Ori, but Dwalin knew enough not to use it) who finally explained.

The hands were a force outside and above them. The hands could give extra food, or more beatings. The hands could give a fighter the strength to win in the Arena, but take it away and leave him dead at the hands of a weaker foe. No one knew what the hands would give until they had it.

And then Dwalin understood. What need did slaves have for a craftsman creator? Even the ones who worked in the mines, even the ones who worked in the factories, didn't do so for love of craft but only because they were made to. Mahal, who hewed their bodies from the rock and forged their souls on his anvil, who directed them to tasks and filled their hearts with the need for craft, meant nothing to them.

And so they had taken what they knew of life and turned to an image as fickle and out of their understanding as their masters. Hands that brought both good and bad with no reason and no predictability.

The stories Dwalin told changed in nature after that day. Knowing what he knew, he taught them all about Mahal and the fires he used to create the Dwarves. And with the pain they were living through, Dwalin knew the Dwarves here had been forged stronger than any other.


	135. Worst Day - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The thing that upsets Ori the most is himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There were so many awful things to choose from with this AU....
> 
> References to death and addiction.

There had been a lot of bad days in Ori's life. The day Dori had told him that their parents weren't coming home was high on that list. So was the day, three years later, when he had seen Nori, haggard with withdrawal, walk out of jail and into rehab. Coming home to find Dori sobbing over the kitchen table because of old pictures and letters he had found in the attic as well.

But none of those could hit the levels of bad day that good old-fashioned self loathing could bring on. He couldn't stay in his room because of work, but he was sure everyone he came into contact with could tell the awful person he was with just a look.

He stuttered, which he hadn't done in years. He missed one phone call and took down incorrect information for at least another two. His head was so far in the clouds that Balin had to call his name five times and finally come out to the office to get his attention.

And then the horror of listening to Thorin tell Glóin proudly how grown up Fíli had become. As if he needed a reminder of just why he was the worst human being ever. He perked up at just the name, heart beating in a way he had for years been certain it would only do for Dwalin.

Dwalin, the man he had had a crush on for three years.

Dwalin, his brother's boyfriend.

Dwalin, who he had barely spoken to since January.

Dwalin, who hadn't entered his thoughts once in the last week.

He had spent that time thinking about Fíli. What was he doing? How were his classes? Had he gotten Thorin to accept that he didn't want to be a lawyer?

Were his eyes really that blue? Would he smile if Ori kissed him? What sounds would he make pressed against Ori? Would he drink coffee in the morning or tea?

But he had been so distant from Nori for the past months. He had begrudged him the happiness he _knew_ Nori deserved and that he had wished for him for years. He had isolated himself in his room so he wouldn't have to explain to any of them what the problem was.

And after all that, all it took was one day walking and talking and he completely forgot about the reason he had been acting like that. He was an awful person, and if Fíli really knew there was no way he'd want anything to do with him.

He wasn't sure, that evening, why he took Bilbo up on the offer to go to Bag End and draw, but he needed to be away from his brothers before they realized they had wasted their time on him.

And then the music.

And Fíli (oh, his eyes _were_ that blue).

Strong arms around him, holding him together.

Sweet, warm lips under his own.

The day ended so much better than it began.


	136. Hidden - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bombur knows Kíli's hiding places.

"He's probably checking the trap lines."

Kíli heard Bofur leave the cabin but he didn't leave his hiding spot. He didn't fit into it as well as he had when he was a child, but he could still wedge himself into a corner under one of the beds. It was impossible to see him except from a certain angle and he had always been safe there.

There was a grunt and a loud creak as the old bed bowed under Bombur's weight. Kíli didn't say anything, curling his legs closer against his chest and trying to get more comfortable.

"Bifur won't wake up until tomorrow because of that cursed medicine and Bofur is out checking the traps. You're lucky it's not a blizzard this time, boy."

"Are we really that low on food?" Da didn't take the medicine that made him sleep so much unless they were low on food late in the winter and he wanted to give up his portion for them.

Bombur sighed. "It's been a long winter and the passes still aren't clear. We're okay for a few weeks, but it's tight and you know your Da. He doesn't like the uncertainty of this time. He wants the best for you."

And that made Kíli bury his face in his knees. "I don't like when he does this," he said, voice muffled.

A moment later, Bombur had somehow wedged himself in next to hm and Kíli turned and clung to him.

"Bofur will be worried when he gets back," Bombur said after a long moment, one arm wrapped around the youth. "You can't stay hidden forever. Your Da will be fine, and so will we."


	137. Breathing - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bofur and Bombur have to hope.

Bofur collapsed in the chair next to Bombur. He was still dirty and seaty from the work he had done that day to earn their keep, but he couldn't stand to be apart from the family he had left.

"How is he?" he asked, accepting the bowl of stew and bolting down more than half of it.

Bombur looked like he wanted to cry and Bofur put his bowl to the side so he could hug his brother close. Bombur usually didn't want to be near him before he'd cleaned up, but he clung close.

"He's breathing," he answered, voice wavering. "What if he doesn't wake up, Bofur?"

"Don't say that! He'll wake up! I know he will." He looked at the bed where Bifur slept. The axe embedded in his skull caught the light and made him flinch away. But he had already seen how quiet Bifur was on the bed. He knew how much trouble Bombur had getting any food into him. He could see how thin he had gotten.

"He'll wake up," he repeated, hoping against hope that it was true. "He's breathing, so he's still alive, and Bifur was always a fighter. He'll wake up."

He looked back, focusing on the steady rise and fall of his cousin's chest. Bifur was breathing. He just had to keep up hope.


	138. Stumble - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fíli has trouble walking sometimes.

The first days after Kíli and Ori left for the Blue Mountains were trouble in more than one way. He of course had to get used to Kíli's departure. They had never been apart for longer than a few days, so the prospect of several months without him was hard to take. The days stretched on and there was no Kíli to laugh with, no Kíli to turn every important moment into some kind of joke. Fíli had never realized just how much his laughter was dependent on his brother.

And then there were the more serious reasons to miss them. Few knew the extent of the damage Fíli had taken in the battle. His eyes still betrayed him when he was tired and his hands never seemed to stop shaking. He could feed himself, and had grown adept at braiding his own hair, but there were so many things he couldn't do. Writing had become beyond his ability. He would probably never play his violin again. Swordplay was completely out of the question.

And there were still times he couldn't walk. He had grown used to Kíli hauling him to his feet and leading the way with an arm across his shoulders. No one questioned them walking that way - they were brothers, as close as close. Fíli could avoid looking weak that way, and he didn't always know if Kíli understood what he did. Kíli did many things without understanding their consequences, which had been the cause of many of their childhood mischief.

But without him, Fíli had to struggle on his own. Which he did, without complaint. None would hear the heir to the throne under the mountain say a word about his own weakness.

And that was how he came to be on the bridge to the throne early in the morning before any others, sunk onto the ground and unable to judge where his own limbs were enough to rise. He struggled against tears - both because he had been warned that they were bad for his eyes and because the only thing worse than being found unable to stand on his own would be to be found unable to stand and also crying like a child.

He was so caught up in controlling his emotions that he didn't know he had company until there were hands under his arms and hauling him to his feet. He didn't spin to look because that was a sure way to fall to the ground again, but he tensed against the intrusion until he heard a voice.

"Hush, získet." The voice was a dark as a stormy day and as comforting as a warm blanket. It was his uncle, and he sagged back into the support of the hands that had taught him to walk. "I will never let you fall."


	139. Free - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin Oakenshield is free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goes with [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1335373/chapters/2902849) and [this one](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3149962). Obviously takes place much earlier.

All of the paperwork was filled out and Thrailís Durin was officially Thorin Oakenshield. The Durin name meant nothing to him, especially after everything his parents said to him. But Oakenshield. He'd kept attackers away with a bat once until help arrived. He'd used it to deflect their blows and to knock one of them down.

And now, after all the years with his parents trying to make him something he wasn't, after all the time of neighbors and classmates and relatives sneering at him and threatening violence, he was finally free.

Thorin Oakenshield was eighteen, a high school graduate, and living on his own in California with a job and an apartment of his own. Thorin Oakenshield wasn't registered as male yet, but it was only a matter of time.

Thrailís Durin was gone, and Thorin Oakenshield was free to be whoever he was.


	140. Waiting - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dori waits.

Dori knew his younger brother, could suss out the reasons he did things better than he suspected Nori could do himself. He knew why his brother went to Arena fighters. He knew there was nothing he could do about it. But that didn't mean he liked it.

He didn't like the way Nori came to them night after night, limping and bruised. He didn't like the way Nori held himself when he was around the fighters. He didn't like how tired he was when he came to sleep. He didn't like how Nori often couldn't bear to be touched because of the roughness of his lovers. He didn't like how his brother smiled, and said things were fine, and lied to them.

But Nori went with them. He chose them. And as long as they stayed away, Dori had to let him do as he chose. There were a few times a fighter tried to follow him back to their sleeping nook when Dori protected him from being further used. But those were few and far between, the fighters desperate and losing their favor, and they never lasted more than a few days more.

But now. Now Nori had chosen someone larger and more muscular than ever. The one he had walked off with was new, well fed, strong in body and in spirit as slaves weren't. And after all the years of healing Nori after rough treatment, all Dori could do was wait and see what damage this new lover would do.


	141. Dirty - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo's thoughts on being clean.

When Bilbo was a child, he had hated bathing. He did it as infrequently as possible, not caring if people said he smelled bad or if he had mud caked behind his ears. His parent made sure he was clean enough, from the time they had to drag him screaming to the bath to the age when he went on his own, sulking and dragging his feet the entire way.

It had been a long time since he was like that, and he had gotten used to regular baths. He did his laundry once a week and put it all away with cedar chips. He was a respectable young man and made sure he looked and acted the part.

He hadn't realized just how much he'd gotten used to feeling and being clean until he wasn't anymore. They were on a trip where they couldn't risk others seeing them and it was more than a week to Rivendell. Even when he was a child he hadn't gone that long without bathing, and he'd never been without clean clothes either.

He didn't want to comment on it because none of the others had any more chance to clean up than he did. But it was hard, and by the time they got to Rivendell he didn't think he could stand himself any longer.

He bathed, luxuriating in the hot water and lilac scented soap. He was in the tub for almost an hour, coming out with wrinkled fingers and feeling the cleanest he'd been in a long time. He put on the robe the Elves provided and the soft slippers, wondering if he'd be able to find a place to wash his clothes without being seen.

But when he returned to the room he was sharing with his brothers, everything was clean and dry, folded and warm on the beds. He must have shown his surprise, because once they were dressed properly, Kíli brought him down to a place where machines washed and dried clothes for them. The world outside the Shire had wonders of many kinds, and Bilbo was appropriately awed.


	142. Speed - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world outside the Shire is fast.

Bilbo had traveled mostly by foot, occasionally riding in a pony cart when they visited the Tooks in the South Farthing. He had enjoyed going rambling when he was younger, taking his time to see what there was in the countryside around his home.

He hadn't expected the truck. Hadn't expected any of it, really, but the truck was the first sign that there was something quite different going on. He had been terrified that first night, both by his daring and also by the way the countryside flew by.

But it wasn't until the third night out, when Kíli took a turn driving so Thorin could sleep, that Bilbo truly understood how fast the truck could go.


	143. Sheltered - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo didn't think he was sheltered, but there was so much he didn't know.

Bilbo had never thought he was sheltered. He knew about the wars going on around the world. He knew about hunger and poverty. He knew about child labor and unsafe working conditions. He knew about homelessness and disease.

But he knew about the wars _in Central Europe_. He knew about the working conditions _in China_. He knew about poverty _in South America_. He knew about disease _in Africa_.

It wasn't until a trio of people moved in with him after a work related accident left them destitute and homeless that he thought about those problems in his own home. It wasn't until he heard about the way office workers had shunted them aside again and again, denying Bifur his workman's comp, that he understood that work could be just as dangerous and unfair in the United States.

It wasn't until he started donating time and money to a local charity that he realized how many people - how many _children_ \- in his own community suffered from malnutrition and lack of education. It wasn't until it effected him that he knew that disease and hunger were epidemic in the country that led the world.


	144. Mirror - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ori has never seen himself before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been thinking about Fíli and Kíli befriending Ori and hopefully can have it written and posted this evening or tomorrow....

He had never seen them all together when they were slaves. There was nowhere to see it. He knew how Dori looked, blunt and beautiful. He knew how Nori looked, sharp and cunning. He had never seen himself.

He knew what he must look like by looking at the other halfs, but he had never seen himself. Not until they were freed. The archers of the company had small mirrors to shave with so their hair wouldn't snarl their bows. The slaves were all fascinated by them, and they all had at least one chance to look in the little pieces of polished glass.

Ori had a narrow face, much like Nori, and a fine large nose. But his ears held narrowed points and the teeth he saw when he smiled were pointed and sharp. His skin gleamed pale where it had been washed clean, and his eyes didn't even have as much color as the pale blue of Dori's.

He avoided mirrors after that.

It was only when mother had commissioned a portrait of the three of them that he saw them all together. And he saw all the differences, all the things that made everyone ask if they really were brothers.

But he also saw the things he couldn't have seen in the tiny mirror. He saw how all three of them smiled the same way. He saw the way Dori's hands touched each of his brothers with the same love. He saw how Nori leaned over Ori's shoulder and into Dori's side. He saw the matching braids in hair of vastly different colors. He saw the design that mother had helped him create and embroider in their tunics, matching shapes in different colors.

And that portrait was a far better mirror than the little ones the soldiers had.


	145. Cuddle - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes you need to cuddle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1392592/chapters/2929531), [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3169496), and [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1593257/chapters/3425492).

Throughout the pregnancy, they battled Nori's demons. She was terrified that she would be a bad mother. She was certain she would do the child irreparable harm, that the child would grow to hate her, that she didn't know what to do.

Óin and Dís worked with them to teach them both how to care for an infant and so they would know what to expect. Dwalin and Dori never grew impatient with their reassurances that she wasn't alone. Ori sat with her as much as he could to show her she was lovable.

And then the baby came and all the insecurities erupted. Dwalin had helped with Fíli and Kíli when they were young, so he had those memories to draw on. He held little Norin comfortably, soothing him just by holding him, carrying him for hours without tiring.

Nori always second guessed herself. Every time she held Norin she worried that she was doing it wrong. This came across to the baby, and he often cried in sympathy with her worries. But she didn't understand, and so it just cycled deeper and deeper until after a month she refused to hold him at all.

And that was how Dwalin found them, coming home from a meeting he couldn't get out of. They were both crying and inconsolable, and he didn't know how it had gotten so bad.

First he picked up Nori, carrying her to their bed and kissing her forehead. Then he went back for Norin, rocking him and holding him close until he stopped crying. He climbed onto the bed, spooning in behind Nori and wrapping one arm around her.

He placed Norin in her arms, helping her to cradle the baby close so that he was holding both of them together. The baby fussed a bit at the change in who was holding him, but he settled in swiftly, nuzzling until he found Nori's breast to suck. It soothed him the rest of the way and seemed to soothe Nori as well.

She leaned back into Dwalin's arms, taking comfort in his hand rubbing circles on her belly and the way he leaned in and kissed her shoulder. "Dwalin, I can't--"

"You're not alone," Dwalin said. "I'll help you. See how all three of us fit together? We're a family. We're not supposed to be alone." He kissed her again and dropped his voice. "I love you, and Norin loves you too. We hurt when you do."

Nori quieted, though Dwalin knew she was still fragile. Still, as they lay together her arms folded more naturally and more comfortably around Norin. And the wonder and love in her face when she looked at him almost hurt.

Dwalin curled his legs closer behind her so they were wrapped around each other and the baby. Even after Norin had finished eating and dropped into an exhausted doze, they stayed on the bed, a family holding each other.

And if they often wound up there all together for years after that, it was no one's business but their own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now with [art](http://asparklethatisblue.tumblr.com/post/86702534833/sketch-from-this-little-fic-by-judayre-dwalin) by Blue Sparkle who keeps making me lovely things! Look at the cuddling! And the baby! And those expressions! Nori has so obviously been crying and her expression makes me ache.


	146. Shadow - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fires cast many shadows.

As a child and as a teen, Bell had loved evenings best. It was a lazy time of day, between dinner and supper, and the only thing that was required was sitting. The family would congregate in the sitting room with whatever friends or relatives were visiting at the time and they would read or knit or sew or tell stories.

Bell had gotten stories whenever possible, wanting to get out of her work and preferring people to books. And both of her parents were happy to indulge her, weaving stories that made her eye the shadows that jumped on the wall because of the fire suspiciously. Her friends also liked stories, and they would huddle together to comfort each other against the scary ones that were Bungo Baggins' favorites.

Slightly older, at 19 and 20, she would sit and hold hands with Rory, doing nothing but watching the dancing shadows on the wall. Her parents were always close by but quiet, giving them space while still being there to chaperone.

When she was 21, she had to ration firewood. She would have done it anyway, because she couldn't stand to sit near a fire on her own.


	147. Coming Home - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin has been aware from home for a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goes with [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1335373/chapters/2861551) and [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1596323/chapters/3507539).

Thorin had been young when she had been cast out of Erebor. Young, with much more of her family around her, and still called Thrailís. She remembered Erebor as a dream, a place of safety where she had jewels in her hair and time to try and make beautiful things, not just things that would sell.

She wasn't sure what prompted her to try and win that dream back, but Erebor was the hope her people needed. They were fading in exile. They were losing their history and their culture. The birth rate was falling, more children and women were lost in childbirth, medicine was worse than it had been. And somehow she felt that retaking their home would help.

Actually being in Erebor again made it feel so real. She looked around at things she remembered, things she knew the histories of. She was in an ancient keep of her people. And it was a fine gift she would give to her people - finally, their home again.


	148. Done - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three things that are done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goes with [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1335373/chapters/2902849), [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3149962), and [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3449702).

It was done.

All of his things were in a duffel and his rucksack. He wouldn't have to deal with his mother stealing his clothes and replacing them with skirts and dresses. He wouldn't have to deal with his father's gender roles. Most of all, he wouldn't have to deal with his brother "setting him up" with one of his friends against his will. If they hadn't been surrounded by other people, it could have resulted in far more than a black eye and a split lip.

And it was lucky a friend of his own had happened by to help him, or defending himself would have landed him in more trouble than it was worth. Someone like him would never get a fair trial, and what the boy had started would become commonplace. And that was something he _would not let happen_.

He was finally 18, and he could leave that house.

~~~

It was done.

All of Michael's things were finally gone from the house. And for once she had a reason to be glad he had moved them three states away from her parents. She had grown used to working without a support net - Michael was certainly no help, and her parents couldn't visit more than two or three times a year.

But now they had turned on her. What had she done wrong? How had she driven him away? How could she think of not giving up her children to people who could raise them "properly?" What a selfish, horrible girl she was.

She had been raised not to speak back, and she didn't now. Instead, she took what little she had in her private bank account, and went to a lawyer. In the end, Michael and her parents were all out of luck. Should something happen to her, the one who would get her boys would be her oldest brother. She would be damned if he he let her precious sons swallow the abuse and bullshit she had grown up with.

~~~

It was done.

It had taken some convincing, but they were sure. They didn't want their father's name anymore - and really hadn't since he had walked out on them. But they didn't want their grandparents' name either. They had seen how their mother was treated and they wanted nothing to do with the ones who had put her through that.

But there was a third choice now. Their uncle had his own name - a name he had chosen for much the same reason. And they wanted it.

It had taken a lot of convincing that they were sure and wouldn't regret it, but it was finally done. Fíli and Kíli Oakenshield walked out of the courthouse I with their uncle Thorin and went home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lack of names wasn't really intentional. But I'm not sure if Thorin had picked out Thorin yet, and I know he didn't like Thrailís for quite a long time, so...


	149. Heartache - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bifur has his first love very late.

Bifur Carys was a boring person. That was what anyone he knew from school would say. He was serious and quiet, and he never went to activities or saw any of them outside of school.

He had a family to take care of. When he was very young, he helped grandma take care of grandpa. Then his cousins were born and he was the one to take care of them in the evenings, because his aunt and uncle worked hard. In high school he had part time jobs, so he had even less time for classmates.

Bifur had few friends, and no close ones, but he didn't mind. He had a purpose and needed to give his all for his family. He didn't play sports, he didn't join clubs, he didn't go to dances, he didn't meet people at the mall for movies and lunch on the weekends. That would take his time and money away from the place they were needed the most.

When he graduated, he started a full time job almost immediately. It was the same thing there. He knew his coworkers, but when they went out drinking he went home. He didn't interact with them outside work time, and they thought he was a strange guy, but harmless.

When he was nearing thirty he fell in love for the first time. Bilbo Baggins was also a hard worker, but he made time to play. He helped Bofur and Bombur with their homework or took them out. He helped Bifur learn sign language and they would sit and read together.

Bilbo smiled frequently and his smile made Bifur smile back at him. He cooked for them and helped them through the day. He had friends who visited and were happy to include Bifur in their group.

Bilbo wasn't interested in romance. The realization that Bifur had fallen in love with him made his heart ache.


	150. Rich - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riches are in the eye of the beholder.

Thorin was born in luxury his nephews could never understand. He and Dís sometimes tried to explain it to them, but there were no references they could give.

His nephews were born into a poverty his own children would never know, and for that he was grateful. They learned young to only ask for necessities, to go to bed hungry and still try to give their portion to family. They grew up rich in love, although poor in every other way.

Thorin's children were born in comfort. They had enough, always. They had food and occupation. They had toys and clothes. They had things that they needed and things that they wanted. They had beauty, not just function.

Thorin worried, at first, that Fíli and Kíli would feel jealous of all that their cousins had that they never did. But they were still rich in love - the only thing they had ever been rich in. They threw themselves on the floor with their little cousins, playing like the children they had never really gotten a chance to be. And surrounded by comforts that were smaller and homier than the glories of Erebor, Thorin felt that he had never been richer.


	151. Contagious - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Illness is a death sentence for a slave.

Ori found him in the late afternoon one day when everyone was out. And that brought Nori a pang of realization that it had been days since he'd seen either of his brothers and he hadn't realized it. He should have gone looking.

He should have gone looking! Ori had dark circles under his eyes. And though it was impossible to tell if he looked too pale, there were still tell tale signs Nori and Dori had learned to recognize.

The boy brushed away his attempts to check his temperature. "It's Dori," he whispered.

And Nori froze. Dori rarely got sick. If Ori was looking for help it had to be bad.

"Why didn't you tell sooner?" he asked, already dashing to their room.

"He's not working, Nori," Ori pointed out, flagging behind. And that was telling too. Nori slowed, and this time his brother didn't have the energy to push him away.

He was burning hot, and Nori started running again.

He knew - he trusted, he _hoped_ \- that this place was different in all things. If someone in the slave caverns got too sick to work, they were culled. They were culled for being useless, and preferably before the contagion got to the rest of the population. Often the other slaves would do it themselves, but if they didn't then the Masters always did.

He burst into his brothers' room and almost bodily flinched to see Dori looking almost as pale as Ori. His mind was numb as he automatically started a routine check as he would for anyone in the hospital. He hadn't noticed. And for that, no matter how quickly and well hs brothers healed, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.


	152. Meant No Harm - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli meant no harm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helps to have read [this one](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3509786).

"But we want to get to the Misties as soon as possible," Kíli protested, voice almost a whine.

Thorin didn't become ant less of a storm cloud. "Did you forget where your brother is from?"

Kíli shot a glance over to Bilbo, who was curled into a ball and had both Fíli and Dori hovering over him. He hadn't realized until Fíli was screaming at him how badly us driving had upset his younger brother. But all he had been thinking about was that when they crossed into Rhovanion Bilbo wouldn't be in so much danger. And that made his foot heavy on the gas.

"I meant no harm," he muttered, lowering his eyes again.

"You never do," Thorin answered, finally unbending enough to clap him on the shoulder. "You need to think more with your head and less with your heart."


	153. Indirect - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dori knows before anyone else.

A slave's life was lived on the edges where nothing was straightforward. Dori had long ago learned to hear what wasn't said and read body language like it was shouted. It helped him avoid beatings at work, predators among the Masters, and slaves who were dangerous to be around. It helped him know what his brothers needed even when they didn't want to say anything.

And that was why he was the first to know. He knew what Nori felt for his huge new lover by the way Nori actually spoke about him. He knew by the way his brother's head would turn to follow the fighter's movements even when he was with his brothers. He knew by the look that would be in his eyes at those times. He knew by the way he came to them later every night, dragging himself seemingly against his will sometimes.

And he knew as soon as he saw them together. He saw the way the large fighter tended his brother. He saw the way the big, bruising hands worked tirelessly to get him cleaned and bandaged, working more precisely than anyone Dori had seen. He saw the way the dangerous fighter was so gentle when moving Nori to more comfortable positions, the way he worked to avoid pressing against any of his wounds or hurting him.

Dori knew before anyone that they were in love. And it scared him, because it put Nori in danger. And because he couldn't think of a way that they would ever have enough time together.


	154. Friend - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo finds his first real friend on the quest to Erebor.

Hobbits were a round, contented people. They thought about their gardens and crafts, their parties and presents, their families and friends. They had no care for epic battles and tales of lost treasures and beautiful maidens. They walked away from the poems about Earendil and Elwing, Turin and his tragedy, the Valar and their creations.

Bilbo often found himself alone among his peers. He liked to read and made his way through any book that crossed his path. He loved to daydream and pretend he was part of the sweeping tales that shaped a land far larger than Hobbiton in the Shire. He made his own young attempts at poetry and stories, fought mock battles in the forested areas near his home, discovered "treasures" of rocks, acorns, and flowers that he brought home to his mother.

It wasn't until he was nearing forty and running from his home that he found anyone he could consider a friend. Ori was a scholar, along on the quest to keep records and not to fight. He understood the draw of books and old tales - his pack would have been full of nothing but books if Dori hadn't packed it for him. He lent them to Bilbo to read as they drove, which was something Bilbo was slow in picking up the knack for, or to read when they rested, which wasn't as common as Bilbo would have liked, because they were teaching him Khuzdul and fighting when they rested from travel.

Ori would sit by him into daylight, telling him stories he remembered, and Bilbo replied with his own. They sat pressed together from shoulder to knee, heads bowed close, and it was a comfort and joy that Bilbo had never known.


	155. Swift - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ori and Fíli visit a fast running stream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a _really hard one_. You wouldn't think so, but it was! All I could think all day was that one line from "Be A Man." The swift as the raging river one. That I might be remembering wrong.
> 
> At any rate, have a stream. And young men in love.

They climbed down the embankment carefully, Fíli keeping a hand on Ori's arm to steady him. And Ori would admit that he both appreciated it and was slightly offended by it. The steepness of the rocky ground was difficult for him, but for Fíli to assume that he needed the help was a little insulting.

But, since he _did_ need it, he didn't protest.

When they reached the bottom they were close enough to feel the spray from where the stream rushed over rocks and around the curve. Fíli found a somewhat dry rock for them to sit on, pulling Ori to sit between his leg and leaning his chin on Ori's shoulder as he pulled out his sketch pad.

He had mentioned wanting to get closer to the stream once, months previous, and Fíli had remembered it enough to find a way down to the bank. And now they were here, far enough down that the rush of the swift stream covered the sounds of people going about their business up at the top of the embankment (that Ori was resolutely _not thinking about having to climb to get out of here_.

Fíli pointed to small fish struggling against the current and there were ducks on the other side. Ori leaned back into his boyfriend's embrace, and started sketching.


	156. Destiny - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Durin's line has a higher calling that other Dwarves.

All Dwarves could technically draw their lines from the seven fathers. When there were only seven to start, that wasn't startling. But that didn't mean that all of those descendents were the same. The direct lines, first son to first son, were something else again. And daughter to daughter was special in a secret way that even many men didn't understand.

And the line of Durin was at the top of that. To be of the direct line of Durin was to have all of Dwarfkind as your special charge. Durin's line didn't merely rule a kingdom. They were the ones every Dwarf looked to for guidance.

Kíli had to learn all of that after they took back Erebor. He had grown up as no one of consequence, and to suddenly have everyone watching him was disconcerting. But it was his place in things, and he knew he had to get used to it.


	157. Varnish - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bofur has Opinions.

People sometimes told Bofur they just wanted plain wood. They didn't mean raw, of course. Anyone who claimed they wanted raw wood was a fool or didn't know what it meant. Unless he was specifically told not to varnish a piece, he did it. Often, he did it even if he was told not to unless the client mentioned wanting to paint an item himself.

People sometimes got it into their heads that varnish made wood less than itself. It was foolishness, of course. You wouldn't wear a hide straight off an animal. No, you turned it to leather first. You didn't wear the fleece straight off the sheep. No, you carded it and spun it and dyed it and wove or knit it, like Bell had made him help with all those years.

You didn't defend against enemies with pure iron ore. No, you smelted it to make steel and shaped it into a sword or axe. You didn't eat your food straight out of the ground. No, you cleaned it and ground it and if you were Bell you made the most delicious bread he'd ever eaten.

And you didn't make chairs and tables to last if you didn't coat them to protect them. Bofur was proud to say that the furniture he made would last a lifetime if cared for. He was proud to say that his toys were guaranteed to survive at least one childhood. And that didn't come by leaving the wood he used to the elements.


	158. Engagement - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dóra is excited about the upcoming nuptials.

Dóra had not been excited to plan her own wedding. She had been young and too interested in her books to be interested in socializing. She had left the planning to others, only showing up under protest when she was absolutely needed for fittings and consultations.

It was quite another thing, she found, to have a child marrying. She had all but given up on Balin. He was too busy jockeying for power in the council and would never do anything to make his position harder. No, if Balin wed it would be a political marriage and nothing more.

Her younger son, however, was quite different. Dwalin had Fundin's temperament. He was all threats but unless you threatened him back that was all he was. He was big laughter and grand gestures. He was passion and heart. She never doubted that Dwalin would find someone one day. It was mostly a question of hitting him over the head with something. (In her case, she had thrown a book at Fundin because he was making a disturbance in the library.)

Whatever Nori had used, Dwalin was utterly smitten with him. But all it took was one glance to see how devoted Nori was in return. He hung on Dwalin's word as if. It came direct from the creator and woe betide any who contradicted that.

Nori was a good boy and she couldn't have carved someone better for her son if she tried. He was loyal, brave, clever. And strong. The first thing anyone learned about the freed slaves was how strong they were.

She suspected the devotion she saw in both of them came out of dark beginnings, but she also saw that the devotion was true. And this time, she was prepared to create a wedding others would talk about for years.


	159. Harm - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are many things in the world that can harm you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for mention of attempted rape and speciesism.

The world was a dangerous place. Quite outside of the threat of dragons - which wasn't much of a threat when you were a pauper - there was the danger of thieves and bandits. There was always a danger of rapists if female Dwarves were found out. Thorin had all but murdered one who had targeted his sister once. They had run from that town before they could be found out.

On top of that, Orcs didn't care about wealth. They killed for the joy of it. And Goblins were always a threat in the mountains. And Trolls lived anywhere they could have a good hideout from the sun.

The world was dangerous, and Thorin knew that having a gun in the glove compartment (which he did) wouldn't always save you. The Man had not raped Dís, but she had still been harmed. Her husband had worked for months just to get her to trust him enough to speak to him, and it had been years before she agreed to be alone with him.

Fíli and Kíli had grown up knowing hunger. They had grown up knowing the disrespect of Men and Elves. They had grown up internalizing the idea that Dwarves were less - were violent, greedy cowards. They were harmed.

When Gandalf insisted that he bring a sheltered child of the Shire with him to defeat a dragon, Thorin was skeptical. And when Bilbo had agreed to come, Thorin was concerned. He let the Hobbit know that his safety couldn't be assured, and Bilbo nodded understanding.

Still, when he saw the Trolls holding him, Thorin panicked. Enough people he loved had been harmed by the world.


	160. Space - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Legolas is interested in space.

Legolas Paduray had a mediocre life, no matter that many would think him selfish not to rank it higher. He was rich, went to the best school in the area, was intelligent and attractive. He had good grades and he played in two sports - both tennis and archery. He only had to ask and he had most anything he wanted.

But his parents were always busy. They acknowledged poor grades more than good ones. Those were expected and didn't merit comment. They displayed his trophies and certificates, but had never seen any of them conferred.

They had his life all picked out for him: schools, jobs, even the girl they wanted him to marry (Tauriel Alston was the daughter of his mother's best friend). But Legolas thought he might be gay. He vacillated between being sure he loved his best friend Kíli and thinking he might be deeply in love with Kíli's younger cousin Gimli. And he didn't want to go into business and take over his father's real estate empire.

What he wanted was science. Chemistry, biology, physics. Half of his trophies were from science fairs, but his parents hadn't noticed. He wanted to discover new species, or design rockets. Especially rockets. His room had constellations and maps of space where other teenagers had posters of singers or bikini models. He had diagrams of space ships instead of family pictures. He had science magazines along with his sports ones.

If Legolas had his druthers, he would work for NASA. Not as an astronaut, because that took flight time and the best candidates were military and he didn't want to be in the military. But the science part. He _knew_ he could design rockets. He knew he could control drones. He knew he could analyze data coming back from Mars or further.

But how to tell his parents when they had everything worked out?


	161. All I Ask - Life Debt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thorin only has one prayer.

Thorin knelt in between the cots, ignoring his bandages and wounds, ignoring the pain in his body. The pain in his heart was so much worse that the pain in his body barely registered.

The bodies of his nephews were worryingly still. Kíli slept a drugged sleep, body worn out from having his arm set and his other wounds cleaned and bound. Fíli breathed so shallowly that it was sometimes hard to tell that he breathed at all. The healers had seen to his wounds, but none knew if he would ever wake from the head wound.

Thorin knelt between the cots feeling how his heart - the heart he had thought broken by Bilbo's betrayal - shattered. The heart that had suffered so much damage for years and still kept beating. But this was who it had beaten for.

And he didn't feel the tears on his cheeks as he bowed his head to the ground touching the rock, the element Dwarves had been made from, to pray, to beg. His own wounds weren't life threatening. He would take on all of theirs, if only his boys healed. He would take all the wounds they bore, all the ones they would ever bear, if only they lived.

Please, he begged. This is all I ask.


	162. Silence - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori has never known silence.

Gundabad was never silent. The daytime was a cacophony of the shouts of Orcs, the noises of labor, machines working, slaves working, beatings, people shouting to be heard over the machines. And always the sound from the Arena. The night in the cavern wasn't quiet either. There was the sound of talking, of sex, the moans of the injured, the cries of children. There were fights sometimes. And the cavern itself wasn't completely stable. You could hear the creaking of the rock.

There was always something going on in Erebor. No matter when Nori went out, day or night, there was someone awake. The craft-wed worked long into the night. The taverns were rich with laughter and song (and fights). There were families and friends spending time together.

But in Erebor they had _homes_. He could stay behind solid, stable walls, and the only sound that came to his ears was that of his family. The scratch of Balin's pen, the soft whisper of Ori's pages turning, the clank of Fundin's prosthetic leg. The sizzle from the kitchen as Dori and Dóra made food for them all. Dwalin's soft breaths as they sat close together, enjoying the quiet comfort of being together.

And they could repeat even further. They could go to their room where the only thing he heard was his own cried mingled with Dwalin's. And then nothing but their breathing, panting at first but gradually slowing out normal, Dwalin's rich snores better than any unfamiliar silence.


	163. Mercy - Challenge Shorts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING!** This chapter contains a physical attack, attempted rape, abusive language, and a lot of transphobia. It is _not_ a happy chapter.
> 
> Thrailís hasn't quite decided on what he wants his name to be yet, so I'm using that name and male pronouns.
> 
> Goes with [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1335373/chapters/2902849), [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3149962), [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3449702), and [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3575459). Also [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1470961/chapters/3175739), which is not about Thorin.

"Hey, little girl. Wearing your brother's clothes?"

Thrailís straightened to his full height (his mother had always bemoaned how tall her "oldest daughter" was). "No," he answered, trying so hard for calm. "I'm not."

He had bought the clothes he was wearing with his own money and the help of his best friend. Dáin had also found a barber willing to give him a boy's haircut. He'd learned his lesson this time and the clothes were all packed in a duffel that he carried with him everywhere. The last time he'd bought boy's clothes his mother had thrown them away.

The boy in front of him gave him a once over. "Not much to look at, but I'll do Frerin a favor and fuck you back to normal."

Panic blossomed in Thrailís' chest as he saw another boy cutting off escape. And the casual way the first boy had said it.

"I'm not interested in _children_ ," he hissed, but that was the wrong thing to say because now he was facing anger and not disgust.

"You're a fucking freak, and you're lucky I'm willing to fuck you," he snarled, winding back and punching Thrailís square in the face.

He fell back, groping for anything he could use to defend himself. It was hard going when he didn't dare take his eyes off his attacker, who was already shrugging out of his shirt.

"You're going to beg for it, bitch. You're going to beg me to fuck you and remind you what a girl you really are. And if you're _lucky_ I'll show mercy and actually do it. I might not. You look too much like a boy right now, but we'll see when I get that shit off you. Might have to burn it after. Show you what happens to girls who wear boy's clothes and make you walk home naked. You'll know you're a girl then, won't you?"

Thrailís kicked, making a solid connection with the attacker's knee, and took a split second to glance around the room for anything that could help him. There was a bat against one wall and he pushed himself toward it with desperate strength.

When he turned around, the lookout had come to join his friend. Both were angry now, the topless one limping. Two on one wasn't good odds, especially when he'd never physically fought anyone other than Frerin before. But as they reached for him he was able to swipe them away with the bat. It was an old oak one, solid and heavy, and they didn't want to be hit by it.

One was muttering about how much Frerin would owe them for this. The other told him that now it was personal and they were going to give the little bitch a lesson. Thrailís just tightened his grip on the bat, watching hopelessly for a way out. He was already in trouble if they decided to tell anyone what he'd done. No one would believe he was defending himself. Not in this town.

He swung again as one of them came closer, connecting solidly. There were curses and the other got in past his guard with another blow to his face. It dazed him, but he kept his hold on the bat, sweeping the boy's legs out from under him.

The boy launched himself up, knocking Thrailís down again and holding him there. And that would have been it if it wasn't for Dáin. Dáin had come looking for him because he was late, and he had experience getting into fights. The other boys didn't see him coming, and couldn't fight him off.

Dáin helped Thrailís to his feet. He listened to the explanation of what had happened as they left. "Your birthday's in two weeks. And graduation's only another month after that. You need to get out of here."

He agreed. They'd not been friendly before, but now they really wouldn't show any mercy.


	164. Candy - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bombur is a cook.

Bombur made his living with food. He was an accomplished baker and a decent chef (and his wife was an excellent chef). They made meat pies and cream buns, herb bread and sweet bread. They made quick sweets and slow, perfect roasts. They made a variety of things and fed many. But Bombur had to admit that candy was his favorite.

Bombur had a huge brood of children of his own and many more who were friends with them and were his children by proxy. And since neither his brother nor his cousin were going to give him nieces and nephews, he would accept the neighbor's children, no matter how tall they were.

And the thing the children liked the best was when he got buckets of tree sap to boil down into syrup or barrels of honey. They knew that if they gave him just the right kind of sad puppy eyes he would boil them down into hard candies. And even if he never made money on those candies, he was well paid in beaming smiles and hugs and delighted laughter.


	165. Lawyers - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dís had never been so happy for a lawyer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if I really like this.... But I spent all day whining "why didn't I roll the modern AU? There are actually lawyers in the modern AU!" It's just not fair.

Hobbits liked things to be in order. Dwarves did as well, so it was something Dís approved of in her new sister. However, the order each believed in was different.

Nowhere was this more apparent than in preparations for a wedding. Dís was almost amazed that Balin hadn't made it his business to come to Bree and do the negotiating for Thorin. As it was, they sat down with a traveling Dwarf who made his living around the continent writing and counseling others. He was the only one in Bree who knew both sets of traditions.

Bell and Thorin were far too easygoing when it came to the agreements about property and authority. They thought of nothing other than their love for one another. But the exiled people of Erebor would have far more to say about it than that. Dís knew they would be glad their king was happy, glad for such a queen as Bell would make. But the simplicity of the forms they wanted would never do for that!

Dís had never been so grateful for a lawyer. He knew what needed to be done, and the couple listened to him as they never would to her. And in the end, though they had a simple ceremony the contract was everything it should have been.


	166. Drought - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Food is a very delicate commodity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was this conversation on tumblr a while back about Dwarves and food production. I had a lot of trouble finding that today. And it was very upsetting, because I needed it. ([Here it is](http://asparklethatisblue.tumblr.com/post/86220956343/what-do-dwarves-eat-anyway), for anyone who might be interested. It's a good read.)

They had been back in Erebor for more than five years when the drought hit. Te Dwarves thought little of it at first, caught up as they were with the resurrection of the great Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor. But it it got hMen and Hobbits, and it wasn't long before it became the subject of talk under the mountain.

It had been a mild winter with little snow, and the spring had only gotten drier. Farmers had tried to wait for rain to transplant seedling but it never came. There were grumblings before spring was half over, and the Dwarves made it their business to try and fix things for their allies.

They came at the question from many different angles. A few workers went down into the Hobbit valley and cut a channel to divert the River Running from its bed under the mountain. They brought up an arm of it to flow just where the Hobbits said they wanted it, made them a wide, shallow pond, and then returned it to the main body of the river.

With that idea in mind, some went down to the fields of Dale. They were too far from the river to do the same, but after some examination tpDwarves approached Men with schematics and ideas. They cut irrigation channels through the fields, digging deep wells to pull the water from and arranging machines to pump it.

Still, there was nothing but the hot sun with no relief. The season was too hot, and the lack of proper winter meant there were twice as many pest insects as usual. Bringing water to the fields was a good effort, but wouldn't completely save the harvest. And the drought ranged all over the continent.

Hobbits exploring the mountain was unusual. While they spent much time in it, they were usually content to stay to well trafficked areas and leave exploration to the Dwarves. No one understood what they were looking for until the Hobbits explained.

There were dark caverns where mushrooms grew wild. If Tomson Moller was to be believed, they were the remains of old cultivation sites. And they weren't the only ones. Large chambers with glass covered holes in the rock were situated high on the mountain. Most Dwarves had assumed they had been put there for diplomatic parties of Men and Elves, and that explained the old, dead trees in them as well.

But no. The Hobbit farmers explained that with a bit of work those would be perfect indoor growing spaces. The sun would get in when it was good to, but it could be cut off with curtains or shutters. There would be fewer pests, and only the pollinators they brought in themselves. There were already irrigation channels carved into the floor. And if they were right, some of the trees hailed from far to the south.

Why, if they started using the caverns - what the Hobbits called hothouses - they would be able to produce food year round! They might be able to grow food that wasn't normally available around the mountain! They wouldn't have to worry about drought again, or sudden frosts, or unseasonable storms. Their food supply would be protected by the same mountain that protected them all!

(They wouldn't have to worry about being starved out by siege, but that was something for Thorin to consider. Hobbits would never think of it.)

They started work immediately. The Hobbits had some ideas about how the hothouses would work. Balin had found old books in the library that talked about the things that the Erebor of old had produced, and the growing caverns were explained in them. Working together, the protected the food supply for all those around Erebor.


	167. Butterflies - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo gets a present.

"Kíli, I feel a right idiot," Bilbo sighed as his younger nephew continued to decorate his hair. He appreciated that Kíli had made the ornaments himself and wanted to see how they looked when in use, but Kíli had forbade him from looking, so he didn't even know what he was getting himself into.

"Don't worry, uncle Bilbo," Kíli said cheerfully. "There's no one else here to see."

"That does nothing for my confidence," Bilbo muttered, but he didn't move away from Kíli's fingers or the light chiming of metal hitting metal.

Finally, Kíli was finished and brought out a glass for Bilbo to see. He had carefully woven his handiwork through Bilbo's braids, and Bilbo thought his head had never more looked like a garden, even with the flower decorated beads Thorin had made him.

Kíli had made him delicate, wire work butterflies. Small blue gems were set into the wings and it made him remember the sky over Mirkwood. His words caught in his throat at the memory.

"Shouldn't you make something like this for your mother?" he asked after a moment, voice slightly hoarse.

"She wouldn't want anything so fanciful," Kíli said with a shrug, reaching out to adjust the way the butterflies rested in Bilbo's curls.

"Courting, then. You'll have someone you want to court one of these days."

"Aye, and I'll have to have practice to make lovely things," Kíli pointed out with a grin. "Besides, uncle, family comes before courting. I made these just for you."

He had that wheedling, hopeful tone to his voice that Bilbo hadn't quite managed to inure himself to. He sighed once more, watching the gems catch the light and make the ornaments in his hair look alive.

"It is fine work," he said finally, making his nephew's grin blaze forth.


	168. Carefree - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dori thinks about Erebor's children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have once again reached the end of the list, so it's time for me to try and focus on other writing (hopefully "Something Tells Me..."). Don't worry, though. To go through all the prompts with all the stories would take something like 70 rounds, so I'll be going through this again (and again and again).

Dori carried the market basket, proud that he could be trusted to do the day's shopping on his own. He had gone out with Mother enough that he was a familiar face in the market, and he had learned the haggling methods well enough that she thought he could do it on his own.

He wasn't quite able to make small talk like he was expected to, but the sellers knew about him from Mother and were very understanding. A few gave him tips, as they had with the haggling, and he was very grateful.

His errand done, he turned to go home. He gave one last look around the market, and then stopped to take a longer one. He hadn't really noticed the children before. They were running around the fountain and stalls, some holding toy weapons, some soft dolls, some both. They were screaming and laughing, joining and leaving groups as quick as breathing.

They were so strange to him, these young things who had no worries. He couldn't remember a time he could run and play like that. He couldn't remember playing at all. He told Ori stories, but that was hardly the same. And Ori, from nothe time he was an infant, had known hunger and danger. None of them had moved with the same reckless abandon he saw in the children in front of him, not even when they were far younger.

Part of him wanted to hate them for having the kind of childhood his own brothers had never gotten. These children were safe, well fed, idle when they wanted to be. They had opportunities and choices, all things he had never known until now. Part of him railed at the unfairness.

But life wasn't fair. And if _he_ couldn't have days of joy, at least _they_ could. He cast one more look at the wild mob of children running carefree through the market and turned for home.


	169. First Kiss - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bard's first kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you may have noticed that I have seriously not been writing. This distresses me. So I'm starting another round of shorts. I actually rolled this one a week ago and am only now getting the wherewithal to write it. That probably tells you something about my mental state. It's not that I haven't had the motivation to write, I just haven't been able to do it.
> 
> Part of the Hudson. Other parts: [Bilbo & Dwalin](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1145580/chapters/2319814), [Balin and Óin](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1155507/chapters/2366815), [Dwalin & Nori](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1392592/chapters/3052771), [Bofur & Bombur](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1470961/chapters/3126028), [Bilbo - Stare](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3372758), and [Balin & Dwalin](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1689998/chapters/3881320). Whew. I need to condense this all into one place. It's starting to have too many parts, and I have a few more planned.

"Baradell!"

The girl stopped and turned to see who was rushing to her. It was Mathilde, her shawl whipping out behind her and her shoes tapping on the wooden docks that Laketown was built on.

Bard stopped and waited, her own bare toes curling against the damp, splintered wood. Mathilde took her hands when she was close enough, not minding that Bard smelled of fish or that she needed a wash. Her pale hands held tight to Bard's dark ones, grip firm and unyielding.

"Was it a good catch? I was on buttonholes all day today. I missed you. Did you think we'd ever start working?"

It was all one breath, which Mathilde was good at. Even if Bard had wanted to answer, she couldn't have. But she thought the answers she didn't have a chance to give. It had been a decent catch. They would have enough food for the night and even had enough to sell at the evening market. She had missed Mathilde as well. With all the things her father insisted she learn as an heir of Dale, she felt she had been working all her life.

Still, the tiredness and soreness of her first days on her father's fishing boat were a different kind. She'd been out with him before, but never like this. She gave Mathilde's hands a squeeze, her answer without words, and the two girls turned to home, still hand in hand.

"I wanted to see you all day," Mathilde said softly as they reached side by side houses they lived in. "I kept thinking you'd want to see what I was doing like you always do, but I couldn't just turn and show you. You're always there, but you weren't today."

Bard turned and lifted a hand to raise Mathilde's face to hers the way her father always did when she was sad. "I'm here now. And I'll be home every night. I'll always be here."

And she leaned closer, unsure what she was going to do until her lips touched Mathilde's. They were soft against her own chapped ones. It was only a moment, and then she raced inside, only looking long enough to see that Mathilde's face was bright red and she was smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not previously written Bard for the Hudson, but I have considered her. She is my first case of race-bending as well as gender-bending. But when I was looking around, I just felt like [Christine Adams](http://www.imagozone.com/var/albums/seriale/Terra%20Nova/Terra%20Nova24.jpg?m=1314140055) is the perfect fem!Bard.


	170. Final - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin tries to have the last word.

" _Absolutely not_!"

Fíli was the one leading them, so Thorin knew it was going to be difficult. Kíli might have slunk off after he'd shouted, but he had been training Fíli for years to be the next leader of exiled Erebor.

"We are adults," he said, arms folded, eyes narrowed.

"Oh yes," Thorin seethed. "Tell me how adult you are. You've never been in a battle. You've never been out of the Blue Mountains. Your brother hardly has a beard!"

If he'd been hoping to change the argument over to the sore topic of how slowly Kíli's beard was coming in, he was very disappointed.

"And we never will if you do nothing but leave us behind," Fíli said, one hand moving to stop Kíli from bellowing in affront without even looking at him. "Kíli is an excellent shot and I'm as good with one hand as the other with my swords. We both drive, and Kíli's better at keeping the truck running than you are. It is our right to go. We are princes of Erebor. We can't expect anyone to go on he his quest if we stay behind like scared mice."

Thorin refused to concede that Fíli had any good points. "No," he said firmly. "You are not coming, and that is final."

With his nephews, his final word was never final.


	171. Falter - Mdern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Learning to walk.

Bofur's first tottering steps had been with his hands in Bifur's. His cousin had beamed at him, calling excitedly to his parents to come and see. Bofur had beamed back at him and promptly fallen on his bottom and stayed there, pleased as punch with his life and his family.

It was almost fifteen years later when it was the other way around, and the only one left to cheer was Bombur. Bofur held Bifur's hands, wishing for physical therapy that they couldn't afford. Bifur walked hesitantly, grip tight on Bofur's hands as his steps faltered and shook. When he went to the floor it wasn't with satisfaction at a job well done. It was with tears that he tried to dash away.

And then he got up again, shaking from the strain as he tried to walk.


	172. Broken Wings - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belladonna's world gets smaller every day.

"The world seems to have lost its color." Belladonna wrapped her hands around her coffee mug, letting the heat relax the ache in her joints. "Since my Bungo passed. I keep up a good face for Bilbo, and Bifur and the boys need me, but it gets harder every day."

There was a moment of silence from the other side of the table. "Run away with me, Belladonna. You know I've always been in love with you."

She laughed, because if Gandalf was in love with any of the Tooks it was Hildigrim. But he didn't look like it was a joke when she looked up at him, and her laughter turned into a fond smile.

"My running days are over, my friend. I would only hold you back, and that would be worse than living a shadow."

Gandalf rose and put an arm around her shoulders, kissing the top of her head. He said nothing, because what could really be said? But there was strength in his old body and it felt like some of that strength entered Belladonna's body at his touch. It wasn't enough - what could be enough without Bungo? - but the little bit of magic that was the old magician's fondness helped.


	173. Union - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erebor and Dale were sister cities.

As they rebuilt, Thorin remembered more and more fully how Erebor hadn't been alone. Dale had been there longer than he could remember, sister city of Men, her port and market and fields combining with Erebor's forges and mines and armory to feed and protect two cities.

Businesses were often partnered between the two. Dwarves would make goods that would be prized anywhere, and Men would bring them away for trade so that the prejudices of Men wouldn't lower the price. Men would grow and raise the food, and Dwarves would bring the surplus to other Dwarf kingdoms where the common hatred of outsiders would have devalued even the best that was brought by Men.

Thorin had forgotten much in the years of exile. They had traveled to many of those places the Men of Dale had dealt with for them. He had grown used to the perceived superiority of Men, to their tight fisted ways, to their sneered insults. It wasn't until Bree that he remembered that they weren't all like that.

And it wasn't until he spent a winter living with the survivors of Laketown and rebuilt Dale that he remembered what a true union of Men and Dwarves could bring.


	174. Believable - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They have to get their story straight.

"So if we are asked, we will say we're simple merchants."

Dwalin snorted, and everyone turned to him. "I've been on enough merchant caravans. And we are _not_ a caravan. What do we say when we're asked what we sell? Or where our goods are? We can't report theft that hasn't happened, and no one will believe that half of us are 'simple merchants.'"

They had to concede the point, although Balin looked very out out that his own brother had knocked out his plan. "What would you say then?" he asked waspishly.

Dwalin shrugged. "Tell the truth. Gets too hard to remember lies. There's not many would face a dragon themselves, and the signs are too new for others to have taken up the trip yet."

"And if they want to stop us?" Thorin asked.

"They're free to try," Dwalin said, grinning like a wolf.

"No," Thorin said. "Elves and Men each believe they are the only ones allowed to make choices. We will not tell anyone of our quest."

"Can't we say we're going to the Iron Hills?" Kíli asked. "They're in the right direction, and no one would think twice about us traveling to see kin."

Balin gave a warm smile to the youth, but Thorin growled. "He would not lend us his support, so we will not invoke his name. No, if there is no believable story we can give without relying on outsiders, we will remain silent."


	175. Cut - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo just wanted to try out that sword....

Or was the one who had actually stolen the sword from Dwalin's things. The others were impressed, but he just told them that you didn't live with Nori without learning some things (not that he ever told Dori that, and if any of them did it would go worse for them). Bilbo liked the feel of it in his hand. It was a good weight, a feeling of safety when Rangers were all over Rivendell.

He hadn't had it long before Fíli plucked it from his hands, looking it over critically. But whatever he had expected to not approve of, wasn't there, because he gave a reluctant nod.

"This'll be better for you, Bíli," he said. "It's a little shorter than any of mine, and a lot lighter."

"And you'll start showing me how to use it?" Bilbo asked eagerly.

"'Course," Fíli answered with a slow grin. "Wouldn't have gone to all the trouble of getting it otherwise." He passed it back and then pulled out his own.

They were at it for just a few minutes, but that was enough for Bilbo to decide that he preferred Dwalin's teaching. Fíli gave few demonstrations and fewer instructions, just coming at him with a weapon and expecting him to defend himself. Kíli and Ori tried to shout advice, but Bilbo didn't really understand their terms and it was always too late anyway.

Dwalin swooped in as soon as Fíli drew blood, grabbing both swords and wrenching them away with the ease of long practice.

"I trust you've gotten it all out of your system?" he asked drily.

They all nodded shamefacedly. They would wait until Dwalin decided it was time before they tried sparring again.

"Good," the man said. "Bíli, lad, got to Óin and have that cut seen to."


	176. Compromise - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Balin just wants Dori to stop looking at him as if he's a threat.

Balin wasn't used to being not trusted. That wasn't entirely true, because he worked in politics, but work and life were different things. Once he got home, he had never been anything but a perfect son and a protective older brother. He wasn't used to being treated like a dragon in his home.

There was silence wherever Dori was.

Nori was nervous around him if Dwalin wasn't there, but that was true of Nori with most anyone. He still wasn't sure how to deal with Ori, and that was also true of everyone. But Dori was a swift and accurate judge of character, and easily made his quiet way into Erebor's society.

But his eyes followed Balin around their home in the evening, especially when Nori was there. And he was always there when Balin was working on reading with either of his brothers. And it wasn't with approval. Dori looked like he was just waiting for Balin to step out of line so he would be justified in hurting him.

It was disconcerting. It was annoying. It was upsetting. Balin didn't like it.

"Can't we come to some kind of compromise?" he asked finally.

"Compromise?" Dori asked, all innocence and polite interest. It was a perfect mask, one he had to have perfected from years in Gundabad.

"I am not going to harm your brothers."

The blue eyes narrowed, and Balin could almost hear the 'again' that wasn't said. "I never said you would," Dori answered, every inch placid and submissive. Unless you looked to see the hardness in his eyes.

"We are family now," Balin tried. "We should understand one another."

"I understand you already," Dori said, rising so they stood nose to nose. "You want to understand me? I have cared for and protected them with my body and life, and they have kept me whole and sane. The supposed safety of Erebor will not lull me so far that I forget my duty to them. You want a compromise? Do not harm them and I will not hurt you. But if you think I will stop being watchful, you don't understand what it means to protect your loved ones."

Balin had never heard so much from Dori, and gaped at him as he walked away.


	177. Impulse - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are some impulses that you can't ignore.

It was a sparkle that drew his attention. The markets had more and more in them. From farther than the Orocarni, from deep Harad, from all over Rhovanion and Eriador. Nori loved that Erebor had all of those things. He had enjoyed his traveling days, and now he had what was almost all of those things in one place.

But there was a sparkle. Light shone from a glass lantern, designed in the eastern style but with the symbol of Durin in the colored glass.

And Nori's fingers itched.


	178. Stranger - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin's thoughts on strangers are not complicated.

Thorin had grown up among strangers. He had been young when Erebor fell, and had spent most of his life traveling among towns of Men trying to make ends meet and take care of his family and his people.

Thorin hated strangers. Men treated size as if it were a measure of ability, or worthiness. They spoke to Dwarves as if Dwarves wouldn't understand, wouldn't know they were being cheated and robbed. Elves went back on their promises, their own immortal lives worth more than the hunger of others. Hobbits were a kind folk, but untrusting of outsiders themselves, and living for long in the Shire was impossible.

Thorin needed the goodwill of strangers for his very living, and he hated it. He longed for the dream of retaking Erebor - his home no matter how long he had been away from it - and having control over his life again. He longed for the day when strangers would have no part of the lives of Dwarves.

Thorin was reluctant to accept the aid of the grey wizard. The quest for Erebor was a journey of Dwarves. But having the aid of a wizard wasn't to be thrown away. Having another stranger foisted on him in the form of a round, contented Hobbit who was in no way the burglar he was presented as, was another thing entirely.

Thorin hated strangers. Thorin hated the Hobbit burglar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...for a while, at least.


	179. Quitting - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli is thinking of quitting.

Kíli came in with restless energy and started setting the table for dinner without having to be prompted. This was only slightly suspicious, and Thorin continued with cooking, waiting until his nephew was ready to speak.

It wasn't until the table was impeccably set, napkins folded into origami cranes, the pitcher of water set in the exact center. "I'm going to quit school," he blurted, wide eyed, clinging to the back of a chair.

Thorin paused in stirring the sauce, and then resolutely kept his calm. "It's just one more year," he said, trying for reasonable. "What's come up that can't wait?"

Kíli eased closer when there wasn't an explosive verbal attack. "I've had people asking about tours and recording. I don't know if I'm good enough to work it around school, especially as a senior."

"Don't be ridiculous," Thorin said, and he saw Kíli hang his head. "You're one of the smartest people I know. Of course you can figure it out if you want to. Have you spoken to your parents about this?"

Kíli smiled crookedly. "I figured if I could tell you I could tell anyone," he said. They were silent a moment, and then he whispered "do you really think I'm that smart?"

There were spots of high color on his cheeks when Thorin looked over, and he reached out to pull the young man to his side. "You are," he said, leaning in to kiss his nephew's brow. "You will be amazing at whatever you decide to do, whether it's music, or law, or something else entirely. Tell me what you want. Do you _want_ to quit school?"

Kíli was silent a moment, then shook his head.

"Then you won't," Thorin said firmly. "And we will figure this out together. As family does."


	180. Tea - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin gets advice from Dís.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a combination of moving and the net being out yesterday and today mean I'm only just now posting this. I feel very sad that I missed a day, even though I wrote this yesterday.
> 
> Goes with [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1335373/chapters/2861551) and [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3567695) and [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1596323/chapters/3507539).

"Sit. Drink."

Thorin did as her sister bid, lowering herself painfully into a chair. She lifted the cup set before her, sniffing appreciatively at the fragrance of Dís' favorite tea.

"Just because you're the king doesn't mean you need to lead our people into battle," Dís said, sitting across from her. "You can be a tactician without being on the battlefield. Dwalin and Balin can lead your armies for you."

Thorin sipped, tasting the alcohol her sister had out into the tea to help her relax. "We've lost so much," she said. "We all need to be able to defend ourselves. I can't ask things I'm unprepared to do myself."

"But we've lost so much," Dís said, echoing her words. "We've lost so much that we can't lose anymore. Love your people, Thorin. Thrailís. Don't forget who you are in your desire to make men follow you. Lead us in _peace_."

Thorin said no more, drinking her tea and thinking about her sister's words.


	181. Blaze - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin looks into Bilbo's fire.

Thorin stared deeply into Bilbo's fire. Dwarves rarely used fire in their own homes. It wasn't needed, with powerful furnaces deep in the bedrock and pipes to transport the heat around the settlements. And light was produced by electricity.

He had traveled for many years, so he was used to campfires. Out in the wilderness there was no danger. But inside a home....

The dragon's fire had been so hot it almost couldn't be seen. It was white hot, a ripple in the air. Until it hit something. Until it hit something, like wooden buildings, or toys, or food.

Or people.

Thorin looked deep into the fire, trying to see past the screams of the dying. Thing to see the fire as belonging to the comfortable home he was in, and not as the untamed blaze stirred up by dragon wings and claiming everything he knew.


	182. Home Alone - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fíli gets left behind.

Fíli was quite young when he was first left home alone. He wasn't sure they really meant to do it, but it was done all the same. Thorin had to go away to make money, and Dís had decided Kíli was old enough to travel, so they were all meant to go.

But Fíli didn't want to go, so he hid under his bed. He hadn't expected it to work, but he had fallen asleep and now he was alone. The house was different with no one else in it. And he was hungry, but there was no one to make food for him.

Being alone wasn't all that much fun, really. He even missed Kíli following him around everywhere.

It didn't take long for Glóin to come and get him. They had missed him before the first night and sent a runner. But a season of living with Glóin and his family - and Gimli was still just a baby and not even as much fun as Kíli - made Fíli all the more willing to go traveling with them the next one.


	183. Quake - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin enjoys watching others in fear.

It had been almost two years and Erebor was finally ready to greet emissaries. Thorin sat on his throne, Bilbo at his side, his nephews nearby, and watched them come in: Dwarves from far flung kingdoms, Men from the south and east, Elves from their forests. He watched them, and he saw it in their eyes, in the way they moved and looked around them.

He saw awe. He saw fear. They saw the grandeur of Erebor and remembered how they had failed to help the refugees. They remembered how they had treated those refugees, how they had cheated them and bilked them, how they had taken them for everything they could and then told them to move on.

He saw their expressions as they realized all of this. He saw them tremble as they began to think of the retribution that could be taken on them. He saw them quake with fear.

He loved it.

But even without all of the preparations Balin had gone through with him, he knew better than to exact that retribution. A kingdom couldn't exist on its own. They needed allies. They needed friends. They needed places to export their goods and import their needs.

His nephews were watching him, always believing that he was the example of how they should live their lives. Bilbo was watching him, knowing his faults and still holding trust in his eyes.

He knew he would welcome them all as friends and open his kingdom and trade to them.

But that didn't mean he couldn't watch them imagine the worst. And he loved it.


	184. Endless Sorrow - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bifur thinks of Ríl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I blame missing yesterday on the move. Another week and we should be done.

Bifur thought of Ríl every day. Every morning, it was a moment before he remembered that she was gone. Every time something important happened, he turned to tell her about it before he remembered.

She would have loved Kíli. Some days he stopped to tell her about him so she could love him as he did. He would ask questions about how he could care for his boy, but of course they were never answered.

She would have insisted on coming on the quest. She never would have let him go alone, would never have let him leave without her. But since she had already gone where he couldn't follow, he just kept her memory in his heart as they moved farther from where she had lived.

Bifur became a regular at the weaver's guild. They were some of the first ones to learn to know him well. He tried to show them designs Ríl had used when she wove. He thought she would approve - she wouldn't want knowledge to die.

He sat at Kíli's wedding, thinking of his own and wishing Ríl were there. She would have been so happy. So happy to see their boy beaming like that. And even on that happiest of days, he missed her.


	185. Experience - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Experience is important.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two in one day! This morning's was yesterday's and this is today's.

It was only experience that allowed you to recognize what needed to be done and how to do it. And fill was aware that his new younger brother had precious little of that. To be sure, if they had cooking to do, or entertaining with the neighbors, if there were parties to plan, then perhaps he would turn to Bíli.

But they were driving a long way, in vehicles he'd never seen before.

They were going to face a dragon, and Orcs, Men, and Elves along the way.

Bíli had never traveled far from home, and Hobbits didn't know how to fight.

Fill was young and not well traveled. But he had a lot of experience being a protective older brother. And Bíli needed him more than Kíli ever had.


	186. Beach - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli shares with his son and nephew.

The boys came home from exploring the mountain with Ori wide eyed and asking about the ripple of reflected light they could see to the south. Ori had called it Long Lake and they wanted to know what that meant. Trying to describe the outside to boys who had never been out of a mountain was more difficult than Kíli had ever considered.

And really, why should they keep their children cooped up in Erebor all the time? They had all lived on the surface most of their lives, and the Men and customs had changed the Dwarf culture of Erebor.

The next day, he loaded the pair of them on a pony cart and headed out. The trip to Laketown would only be a day taking the newly fixed roads and riding in a cart, not the five long, nervous days they had walked through the wilds. The boys stared with round eyes at everything around them, up at the blue of the sky, out at the fields of wheat, over at the Men working and traveling the roads, and the Dwarves as well.

They reached the lake in the evening, and he set up a simple camp to share with them while they ran up and down the beach, splashing in the water and exclaiming over the sand and water and fish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kíli, I love you. But perhaps you should have told someone about the trip? Like FÍLI?


	187. Whispered - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo's reputation is made in rumors.

News about Bilbo Baggins should have been announced publicly through all of Erebor. That was what Thorin thought, at least. Bilbo himself was content to let everyone learn about him through whispers.

And there were certainly plenty of those. Rumors started before they were even in the mountain. Some had seen Bilbo's dash to attack Azog. Others heard stories from the company about things that had happened on the quest. Bilbo smiled quietly and neither confirmed nor denied any of them.

Thorin was used to being talked about, and he had never liked it. People had talked about the young prince, about the madness of Durin's line, about the debacle of Azanulbizar, about the untrustworthiness of Dwarves. He had done what he could, when he was young, to stop the talking. And when he was older he learned not to listen.

But Bilbo seemed to thrive on half heard whispers. Thorin was almost sure Bilbo was starting some of the rumors himself. And they only grew in the telling, until even Thorin sometimes had trouble keeping truth and whispers separate.


	188. Now - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Small children are impatient.

The smells from the kitchen were enticing, as they always were. Thorin, home early from work, stopped to watch the cooking going on. Bell was surrounded by all the children as she pulled something out of the oven, the aroma that wafted over to the doorway telling him it was cookies.

"Now, mama?" one of the twins asked eagerly. They weren't hanging off her skirts, but that was probably because they had been warned very clearly to keep back from the hot oven. "Can we eat them now?"

Bell laughed, and the sound of it still took Thorin's breath away after eight years of marriage and four children. He leaned against the door jamb, content to do nothing but listen to the sound of his wife's voice.

"They're too hot now," she said. "You'd burn your mouth."

"Wouldn't," the boy insisted, and now he was very close to hanging on his mother's skirts.

"Besides, we still have to wait for papa," Bell said, expertly guiding toddling Amber away from the heat of the oven. "These are a special surprise for him on his birthday, remember. What will you say when he comes home?"

"Happy birthday, papa!" all four chorused.

He couldn't hold back anymore. "Thank you, my little ones!" he boomed, sweeping them all into his arms as the squealed and kissed him.

It was only a moment before a little boy voice piped up again, asking plaintively "Can we eat them _now_ , mama?"


	189. Oppression - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slavesare so used to oppression that it's easy to oppress them by accident.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes prompts are so easy that they roll over and become hard again.

They needed minders, the people from Gundabad. It took very little time for Thorin and Balin to realize that.

They had hastily placed them in homes to get them out of the barracks and away from any place that would make them think of their slave past. But they had taken volunteers for housing, and they found that wasn't always for the best.

Most of the people who had taken in freed slaves were good people who wanted to help them. But even for them, it was hard. The freed slaves did as they were told, asked no questions, showed no interests. And Dwarves were well known to be stubborn and contentious. Everyone expected that if they crossed a line they would be told.

But slaves didn't tell.

They were quiet and well behaved in public. They were easily overwhelmed and easily taken advantage of. And even then, when any Dwarf in Erebor would have cried out against their oppressor the freed slaves would give politely baffled smiles and say they were fine.

That they were telling the truth said better than anything what they had been through.

Thorin and Balin found people who could check on them and make sure they weren't being taken advantage of. They found people to help train them in Dwarf society, to let them know what was available to them, what they could ask for, what they could say no to, what to expect.

And slowly, progress was made.


	190. Hands of Fate - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some things are only controlled by fate.

"It's all up to fate now," the healer said, shaking his head over Bungo's condition.

Bilbo slumped in despair and tried to figure out how to tell his mother that there was nothing that could be done for the cough that was tearing his father apart.

Years later, in Rivendell, Bilbo was able to leaf through medical books. There were many many diseases that had symptoms like his father's. And many of them could be cured. He felt rage blossom in his breast. It hadn't had to be fate. But the Rangers and their confining, controlling ways had killed his father.


	191. Afterlife - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things work differently in the Halls of Waiting.

The Halls of Waiting were at once hugely crowded and infinitely lonely. The dead didn't exist physically, and their spirits only interacted with others if they wanted to. No one was sure just how many there were there, who or how far back it went. Because no one went looking for everyone. They just looked for those closest precious people.

Some of them watched what was happening in the world of the living, waiting for those who were still there, watching lives that no longer contained them. And that sometimes expanded the social circles of the dead.

Ríl and Frerin had known each other for what the living would call a long time (not that time meant anything to the dead). When Ríl's husband met Frerin's siblings, they noticed one another. It was a mildly suspicious noticing that first time. But the living families kept encountering one another, her husband being given the child of Frerin's sister for safety.

They had grown to know one another after that, as they both watched over the boy and watched him grow. At first they only spoke of the boy and their families, but they started to share interested and realized they were both artists. They had both been creators, both killed by Orcs they shouldn't have been facing. They both left behind family who would have died in their stead.

They had known each other a long time when their families came together on a quest that seemed almost suicide. And they clung to one another in terror each time their loved ones almost joined them. Because they wanted nothing more than to miss their families for ages to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ríl was completely right there to welcome Bifur when he died.


	192. Toxic - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys are interested in everything.

The boys kept samples in their room until Pearl was old enough to toddle. She got into everything, and ever when doors were closed and locked she seemed to find her way into rooms.

They had mushrooms of all kinds, things they had found around and just outside Bree. Though there were books about fungi, they were determined to make their own about the things to be found in their own home.

But their sister was at an age when everything went into her mouth. And not all of their samples were safe. It was the only time their mother hit them, hysterical with worry for the baby.

Not long after, all the samples were safely disposed of.


	193. Jubilant - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frodo gets very happy over small things.

Sometimes it made Bilbo want to cry just how little it took to make Frodo so happy. It was a sign of how little he'd had in his life, how neglected he'd been until they got him. And although it meant that they had a boy who was almost always happy, he wished he could change that past.

He never said anything about it to Frodo, though. He would never say anything so small and petty to upset him. Frodo had had enough upset in his life and Bilbo wanted to make sure he was only rarely upset.

Bifur had picked him up from his first day at school with them, and now he was sitting in Bag End and telling them all about it. The teacher was nice, and he had met other children who would hopefully warm up to him quickly.

But the highlight of his day, the thing that made his eyes light up with the most pleasure was such a small thing.

"The teacher asked who was picking me up and I said my _daddy_ And she said she'd be happy to meet him and then she shook his hand and said I was a lucky boy to have a daddy who came to get me and I said I know!" He beamed up at Bilbo and Bifur. "Aren't I lucky, daddy?"

Bilbo wrapped his arms around the small boy, pulling him close and feeling how he nestled in as if he belonged there and nowhere else. "You are, my boy. And we're lucky to have you as well."


	194. Languid - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bell is pleasantly surprised her first time with Thorin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is at least the fourth short that has to do with Bell and Thorin and sex....

Bell had been a loud enough child that no one expected her to be quiet. But she was well able to be quiet when she wanted to be, and had heard many conversations she wasn't supposed to hear as a result.

She had heard many laughing stories, when she was too young to really understand, about men "doing their business" and then dropping off to sleep and leaving women to finish on their own. She didn't think much of it at the time, except to wonder why the women still wanted to do business with the men. When she was a bit older, the remembered conversations made her blush, but at least she knew what to expect.

Or so she thought. Perhaps it was just that Dwarves had better stamina than Hobbits. Perhaps her Thorin was a singular man. Perhaps the Hobbiton gossips didn't know what they were talking about and had ended up in unfortunate relationships.

Whatever the reason, Thorin was thorough with both his pleasure and hers. Her body shaking in the aftermath of orgasm, Bell had to reach out to him slowly. She found she hadn't the energy to do more than kiss him and let him pull her close.


	195. Free - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dís never really wanted the life she had.

Dís was too young to remember Erebor. She had grown up on the road and amid the poverty and exploitation that the Dwarves found everywhere they went. Still, she did her best to act as she was told a princess would, to out her people first and help things run smoothly. She was better at diplomacy and every day things than Thorin was. He went and worked for their people, and she stayed in Ered Luin and did the same.

Thorin gave up Erebor when he married Bell. He didn't say anything, but Dís knew. He was finally content with his life. Finally happy in a way she'd never seen him happy before. And in Bree their people prospered. With the combination of their people in Bree and in Ered Luin they finally had enough and to spare.

And Dís felt free of the requirements of royalty.


	196. Ignore - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ori doesn't mind being ignored.

Ori knew he could do things he shouldn't. He was often overlooked and ignored, despite everyone saying they watched the halfs closely. But they didn't want to be seen paying attention to them. When Ori was out on his own, he couldn't even spend the money Nori gave him to spend.

When he was out with Nori, they were always treated well. It was a combination of respect for Dwalin's family and the well known consequences for mistreating Ori. It only took Nori pulling out a knife twice before people knew enough to not provoke him.

But when he was alone, Ori was often ignored. It didn't bother him much. When he brought the apples home, he just said he'd gotten them in the market. And he still had all the spending money Nori had given him.


	197. Dirty - Challenge Shorts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goes with [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1155507/chapters/2372100) and [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1689998/chapters/3732977).

"Who's a dirty baby?" Balin crooned, carefully getting out of bed and then reaching for his child. "Is it Khaíli?"

The baby giggled and flailed, recognizing the name. Balin shushed Khaíli gently, looking at where Dwalin was so deeply asleep that he hadn't noticed that anything was amiss. Balin knew he should probably wake his brother and have him tend to things, but it was _so close_ to the end of his confinement and he was so restless.

And Dwalin deserved his rest. He'd been doing everything for months, since before Khaíli had even been born. Balin was certain he had enough strength and energy to carry his child to the table and change a diaper. Khaíli was a large baby, yes, but still just an infant.

An infant who had only seen Balin lying in bed and crowed to see him up and about, arms flailing in excitement. Balin shushed again and began the walk across the room to the table. It was a longer walk than it should have been, and once the child was laid down Balin had to pause and catch his breath.

But Khaíli's smile was enough for him. Even the effort of breaking the child's strong hold on the foot that was being industriously gnawed. Khaíli would be strong like Dwalin, Balin thought proudly. His child would be large and strong like Fundin and Dwalin, and Balin couldn't wish for anything more.

Right now, though, Khaíli was still small. Balin crooned softly as he removed the dirty diaper and replaced it with a clean one. The dirty one was put into a bin to be taken away and cleaned later. And then Balin took his child in his arms again and turned.

The distance to the bed yawned before him, and he was sure he'd never make it. But there was a chair, almost close enough to touch, and he collapsed into it with a feeling of a job well done. Khaíli was clean, Dwalin was still asleep, and he had started to do his part.


	198. Overflow - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a reason Dwalin plays the viol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of 3 updates this morning (with today's probably coming tonight because I have to catch up on things). I was visiting my sister, and she had no wifi. So it's all written, but I haven't had a chance to post since the last time I was on the train on Wednesday.

There was a very good reason Dwalin had learned the viol. He was not the best with words, not like his brother or his mother. They all got stopped up in his throat when he felt strong emotions - and everything Dwalin felt, from the time he was young, was strong.

He was big and strong, and when he was young the way he had let others know what was wrong was with his fists. But that was no good - even as a child, he could have hurt people that way. So he was young when his mother put a viol in his hands and taught him to play it. And unlike words, music came to him readily.

So it was that, years later, in a place that was out of his worst nightmares, he wished he had his viol. He had so many feelings he had no more words, and no way to release them. No way but to hold tightly to a man who didn't understand.

By the time he had his viol again, Nori understood.


	199. Animal - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Men say bad things about Dwarves.

A Dwarf is an animal. So Fíli had heard all his life. A Dwarf does not care for the others around him. He is greedy, thinks only of himself and his own needs and wants. A Dwarf cares for nothing but gold and gain. A Dwarf was dangerous for a man to be around and women should be kept out of their sight.

Fíli didn't understand when he was young. The Dwarves he knew and lived with were the best people he knew. They loved him and cared for him. They worked hard and put children and those in need first. They were fair and simple. 

But as he grew up in the world of Men, he watched them. He watched them cheat Dwarves and cheat each other. He watched them turn away from those in need. He watched them hurt each other and hurt their women.

He watched them blame Dwarves for everything.

And he knew what it meant to be an animal.


	200. Nosebleed - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The difference between Bag End and Erebor effects Bilbo.

It was very different living under a hill and under a mountain. Both were underground, but a hill was a low and rolling thing, close to the surface and deep in rich soil good for growing things. A mountain was a far larger affair, hard and stony and holding an entire city of Dwarves in its vast embrace.

The difference between mountain and hill was often one of temperature and humidity. Bag End had always been well insulated. It was warm in winter and the fireplaces only needed a bit of tending to keep everything where it should be. And while it was snug and didn't have rainwater coming in, the fact that it was close to the surface meant that even in the winter it kept damp enough.

But Erebor was far deeper and made of different stuff. It was cool and pleasant, even on the hottest days of summer, and it was dry enough for laundry to dry quickly. But laundry wasn't the only thing to lose moisture, and Bilbo quickly found Óin putting him on a strict regimen of drinking to keep from dehydrating. And it was hardly winter before his first nosebleed.

He'd had a few in his rambunctious youth, so he didn't panic. And with the dryness of the air, Dwarves knew what to do about nosebleeds. There was always someone to point them out if Bilbo hadn't noticed and to help him slow them down. And even with them, there was no place he'd rather be than beside his Dwarves.


	201. Thrilled - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dís is less than thrilled by Legolas' mother.

Dís bided her time during the conversation. Finally, she seized her chance to say "of course we'd be thrilled to sit with you."

The woman blinked her eyes in polite confusion. "Sit with us?"

"At the awards ceremony and graduation, of course," Dís said smoothly. "I'm sure you're looking forward to seeing Legolas receive his awards and degree as much as we are Kíli."

"Oh." It took time for Legolas' mother to think of the date. "Unfortunately there's a benefit that day..."

This time Dís didn't stop her eyes from narrowing or her growl from being heard. The same thing every time, the boy's whole life. "He is graduating from college. _Your son_ is graduating from college."

"It's not like he would want us there. He hasn't said anything about it."

And after all the disappointments they had given him, Dís couldn't blame him. If he didn't say anything he wouldn't have to hear their rejection. "Keep telling yourself that," she sneered, dropping the pretense of interest and turning away.

The Durin clan would cheer for Legolas. They always had.


	202. Fireplace - Challenge Shorts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To go with [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1335373/chapters/2861551), [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1596323/chapters/3507539), and [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3567695).
> 
> I have been remiss in my writing. I didn't do it yesterday. I did yesterday's prompt today, though. Make sure you go back one chapter and read both updates.

There was a roaring fire in the hall. Everyone from the settlement had come to it, bringing their firewood and food to share. The winter was bitterly cold, and it was better and easier to house everyone together. So his aunt had decided, and so they did.

The drought of the summer hadn't given way, and the skies remained clear and bitterly cold. The cold crept in through every crack in a building, making the Dwarves layer on as much as they can and use firewood wastefully to try and stay warm.

At last, Thorin had decided that enough was enough. She flung open the doors of the old halls, built into the mountain but of questionable stability. The helped with the surveying herself and portioned off the area that was habitable. And then she brought the entire settlement in to share it. With shared food and shared fire they would all be better off. And with so many people in such a space, they were no longer cold.

Children were put closest to the fireplace. If there was any chill, it would be far from there and the well being of children was paramount. The elderly joined them, old reverenced and young coddled. And Fíli found himself spending most of the winter safe under stone and so hot he ran around in little more than his underclothes.


	203. Coming Home - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwarves come home to Erebor.

The word went out quickly. Erebor belonged to Dwarves once more. They started coming even in the dead of winter. They came from the east and the Orocarni and points even farther. They came from the south, from Deep Harad. They came from the west and the Ered Luin. They came from every point on every map anyone had.

Dwarves came home to a home most of them had never seen. Anyone younger than 120 had been born after the exile. Many had never been to Rhovanion before. Some had family lines that had never been in Rhovanion before.

They were all welcomed. Dwarves came home to Erebor, to the home they had lost so long ago. They came home from everywhere on Arda. They came home from the cities of Men, the retreats of Elves, the depths of other Dwarf kingdoms. They came home from mountains and forests, valleys and vast steppes, rivers and oceans.

They brought with them all their crafts, all their ideas, all their asthetics in art and jewelry and clothes. All their differences in music and make up and storytelling. They brought all the colors of life in their skin and hair and eyes.

They were welcomed, every one of them. Because what can you do to someone coming home but welcome them?


	204. Fireflies - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bell introduces Thorin to the wonders of living above ground.

Thorin had never paid attention to the above ground land he made his life in. There was no reason to. It was wild with plants and animals that he didn't care about and that didn't care about him. He traveled and worked and did his best for his people.

Bell was a child of that world, though, and as they courted she taught him about it. They would walk among the flowers and she would name them. He picked them and wove them into her hair, making her laugh (he never wanted anything but her laughter). They watched the guard train with horses and he grew to appreciate their strength.

It was evening in the summer after they married that Bell pulled him out of Bree into the fields around it. He followed willingly, because where else did he want to be but where Bell was? She collapsed onto the ground, rolling a few times for sheer pleasure before pulling him down to her side and pointing up. He held her close against his side and looked.

There were the moon and stars in a cloudless night, and he could admit that it was beautiful. His eyes widened when one of the stars zipped in front of him, and Bell giggled at his reaction. He looked closer and saw that many of the things he thought were stars were closer than the sky. They were insects of some kind, glowing in the night and dancing in the air.

They watched, him with amazement, her with joy, for a long time. And then Thorin pulled her to her feet and joined in the dance, swinging her through the air and among the fireflies.


	205. Fit - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Outsiders don't understand the size of Hobbit homes.

The first thing anyone wondered when they saw Hobbit homes was how everyone fit. Men, of course, had the most trouble imagining it, being far too tall. But even Dwarves would shake their heads at the size of Hobbit families and the size of Hobbit homes.

Bell herself had grown up the only child in a vast smial that had been created for a far larger family that was never to be. But her own mother had been one of a dozen, and there were many families that large in the working classes.

Part of the problem was that the way Hobbits preferred to build, the size of their homes weren't apparent. You couldn't see how far into the hill Bag End ran, so it was easy to have many rooms hidden.

You couldn't see how far back the new Bag End ran either. Thorin was amazed the first time he really walked through her private rooms. Most had been closed off and were only opened to be cleaned, there for a family she didn't have. But he opened every door and gawked at the space that was available for them.

The space they eventually filled with family and laughter. Because it wouldn't do to have no room for joy, and a Hobbit home was made to fit everything.


	206. Electrify - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a new girl in Kíli's school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another one I need to pull together into one place, because this makes 7 pieces of it and it's hard to collect them all to put here in the notes. Here are previous pieces:  
> [Fíli goes to the prom](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1335373/chapters/2902849)  
> [Thorin fights for custody of his nephews](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3149962)  
> [Thorin Oakenshield is free](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3449702)  
> [Three times people were done](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3575459)  
> [Bofur gets beat up again](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1470961/chapters/3175739)  
> [Thrailís is assaulted by friends of his brother](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3761203)

It was like electricity going through his body the first time Kíli saw the new girl. She was ahead of him in everything, so they weren't in any classes together until he got to art.

She was already in the room, bent over a sketchbook and ignoring the other students entering the room. All he could see of her was a long reddish braid, but it was enough. The shape of her was enough, bent low and tense. It didn't take conscious thought for him to crash into the seat next to her, leaning in and smiling, and then pulling back because uncle Thorin had told him so many times to give people their personal space.

She looked up with wide dark eyes, pulling her sketchbook close against her chest. She leaned back in her seat, pulling away from him and Kíli almost pouted.

"Please don't," he said, holding himself where he was when all he wanted to do was lean forward to keep her from backing up. "I'm Kíli Oakenshield, and I just wanted to welcome you. Can't we be friends?"

He gave her his very best lost puppy eyes and was rewarded when she lost some of the tension in her shoulders. "I'm Ori," she said, her voice lower than most of the girls he knew. She looked away and cleared her throat and when she spoke again her voice was higher. "Thank you for welcoming me."

Kíli's smile blazed forth. "I can show you everything and help you out, if you want," he said, eager beyond measure to get to know her.

She nodded, then looked up at him again. His smile startled her, but she gave a small one in return. There was silence between them for a moment and she didn't seem to know what to say. The bell rang and class started, and she slowly relaxed as they sat next to each other and worked silently.

Kíli wasn't good at silence, but he recognized when it was needed and it was needed in that moment. It was needed if he wanted to be her friend, if he wanted to know this girl. And the tingle that was still running through him said that he did.


	207. Crawl - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin hates.

Thorin hated working in towns of Men. Men acted like they were bestowing the greatest honor by giving him the meanest work to do. They refused fair wages, paying him as little as they could get away with. He had to crawl and beg to get enough to feed his family.

Thorin was a king, a craftsman, a warrior. And he was humbled over and over until there was nothing left. He was brought down again and again until he knew nothing but starving for his boys. He was degraded so many times that there were times he forgot he had been anything else. He was forced to kneel, to grovel until he no longer remembered how to stand straight.

Thorin hated working for Men. He hated Men.


	208. Garden - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hobbits are good at growing things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goes with [this short](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1596323/chapters/3521936).

Hobbits were experts on growing things, coming out of the ground themselves. They used hardly any tools, sowing their seeds in the places they felt would be best for them and using other plants to regulate the soil in all the complex ways Men never quite thought of.

Every Hobbit had a garden. For the wealthy, it was mostly tended by gardeners, but there were always a few plots that were touched by no other. Bilbo had grown his prize winning tomatoes himself from seeds he had saved and cultivated and cross bred.

The back corner, where the garden got the right mix of sun and shade and the brook that eventually meandered down to the Water passed through, had lain fallow for years. More than fifty-one, if he was being honest. His parents had never tried for more with how much trouble he was on his own.

And now. Well, now he should have taken a season to check the nutrients, plant clover, get it ready. He should have turned the soil a month ago to make sure it was ready. There was so much he should have done.

But he planted the seed carefully, covering it tenderly. And he didn't want to walk away, even though he knew it wouldn't start growing right away and he wouldn't be able to see the growth for days. It was simple to tend his tomatoes and keep his distance. It was far harder to leave his garden when his child would soon be growing in it.


	209. Wrap - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dís got a present from Bilbo.

The wrap was a large triangle of a warm, soft wool. It was a cheery green with a riot of multicolored flowers covering it like a summer hillside. It was--

It was sorely out of place inside a mountain. In a kingdom that still smelled of dragon no matter how much incense they had burned in the last year. In a kingdom in ruins, structures destroyed and stores rotten from more than a century of neglect. Among a hardened people to whom a sunny summer day spent on a green hillside meant not eating. To a people who valued stone and metal above any living thing.

But Dís wore it anyway, all through the long winter where they sussed out the breaks in pipelines and made sure ventilation shafts were still well in place. She was home for more than a year before they had proper heat, although at least the hot water was available almost from the first.

Dís wrapped the shawl around her as she went about her business. It was impractical for use underground, and it was nothing like a Dwarf would usually wear. But it made Bilbo smile to see her in it. And if that weren't enough, it was a bright point for her people to latch onto. A sign of better times that would hopefully come soon to them.

Dís wore the shawl with no self consciousness. She accepted its comfort and used it to comfort others.


	210. Study - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ori has a very frantic end of semester.

The semester was rapidly approaching the end and Ori was only first realizing how little he had been to class. He had gone to the ones where attendance was mandatory, of course, but a lot of them weren't. And this semester was all general requirements, so he wasn't really interested in the subjects.

The construction workers, on the other hand.... He was very interested in them. Dwalin had laughed the sketchbooks and sketchbooks he had filled with drawings of brawny men going about work that showed off their muscles. He had teased Ori for having a type and then flexed for him, making the young man blush.

Then he mussed his hair and went back to work, because he only thought of Ori as a younger brother, if that. And Ori knew it, but he couldn't help the amount of time he came to watch.

And now he was paying for it. What were his classes even about? He frantically downloaded reading materials he'd ignored and lectures he'd skipped. He pulled out notes that were more sketches than words, and then he tracked down students from his classes to ask for help with making study guides.

And the construction was finished while he spent every waking minute studying so he would pass all his classes.


	211. Swift - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frerin and Bungo argue.

"It's a swallow."

"It's a _swift_."

"It's a _swallow_!"

"Can't you see that it eats insects?"

"Swallows eat insects."

"Swallows and swifts look alike but they're _not the same_."

"They're not, and that's a _swallow_."

The boys sounded like they were about to come to blows when Thorin stepped in and put a hand on each shoulder, keeping them apart. "What is the problem?" he asked, voice enough to quiet both of them quickly.

"Frerin can't recognize a swallow when he sees one," Bungo muttered.

"Bungo can't admit he's wrong," Frerin muttered in turn.

"Where is this bird that has you both so angry?" Thorin asked, keeping them firmly in hand.

The boys pointed, then gaped at the empty space they were pointing to.

"I see no bird at all," Thorin said calmly. "Therefore there should be no argument. Go help your mother clean."

"Yes, sir," they mumbled in unison.


	212. By My Side - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Parents and children want to be together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goes with [this one](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1596323/chapters/3521936), and [this one](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/4710063).

Two figures sat in front of a blazing fire. The larger pulled a comb through the hair of the younger, plaiting the long strands into intricate braids that would mean nothing to those in the surrounding houses. He wove stories as he wove hair, explaining the meanings to the child, telling about the other parent the child would never meet.

He cried as he spoke, voice hitching through the tales, breaking before he could name a name. The child turned, face fully as pained, reaching out to comfort. He gathered his child in his arms, last piece of a missing love. He held the child tightly, trying to shield that last remaining bit and keep it safe.

“You’re by my side,” he whispered. “Nothing is wrong as long as you’re with me.”

Across the continent, a parent and child looked out of a mountain stronghold and onto the land falling to slumber around them. The parent spoke of one who loved the growing things. He spoke of soft bodies, of a far off land of plenty and peace.

His voice trembled as he spoke, and he put his arm around the child and held him close as if he feared that he would be left behind. The child leaned into his warmth, assuring with his presence that he would not be.

“It’s okay as long as you’re by my side,” the parent said softly, turning his face into springy curls. “When you’re here it’s not so bad.”


	213. Need - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What does Kíli need?

Every time he visited with his Ma, she asked the same question. What do you need? Kíli was never sure how to answer that question. What _did_ he need?

What did he need? He needed his Da to be healthy. He needed enough food. He needed a place to stay, with warmth and safety. He needed something to do - wood to chop or animals to hunt. He needed clothes to wear, although what he thought that meant and what the society of Erebor thought that meant were very different things.

What did he need? He really didn’t need much. He needed the love of his family. He needed the patience of his Da. He needed his archers. He needed Vedyn.

What did he need? Nothing she could give him. Nothing she hadn’t given him for years before he even knew who she was.


	214. Steady - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Caryses have good control of their bodies.

“See, you keep your hands very steady and use the vise to help hold the pieces together,” Bofur said, showing Bifur what he was doing in the carpenter’s shop he was apprenticing in. “There’s all kinds of things I never knew before, Bif.”

Bifur smiled and nodded, pleased at his cousin’s pleasure.

“And one of the others there is really showing me what I can do with my whittling. You remember the toys Bom and I used to play with? Like that, only so much better. I have good, steady hands. Everyone at work tells me so.”

“You keep your hands nice and steady,” Bombur said a few years later, demonstrating how he could now pipe icing onto a cake in any pattern his family cared to name. “And as long as you’re in control you can make it look however you want. It’s the same way I can cut flowers out of carrots and apples.”

He was as excited about cooking as his brother was about wood, and Bifur was glad to watch him and see that excitement. But when he was alone again, he looked down at his own hands and his smile dropped away. He had had steady hands once. Now, he couldn’t always manage to make tea in the shop without spilling it.


	215. Harm - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fíli knows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have spent so much time writing on an ipad that writing on an actual keyboard is very difficult. Especially since putting in the accent marks is _so easy_ on the ipad keyboard but I never remember the keyboard shortcuts for them. Which means I have to find a place where a character's name is and copy-paste it every time I need it. I'd better get that replacement ipad tomorrow.....
> 
> Goes with:  
> Fíli is born  
> Fíli wants to try girl clothes

Thorin looked at his... nephew. The child knew. It was obvious in... _his_ eyes. Fíli knew the truth.

They had never meant to keep it a secret from him. But when he was so young it would have been folly to tell him. He might have said something without even realizing what he was saying. And he wouldn’t have understood the need so young.

And then they just couldn’t think of what to say to him. How could they explain the situation that made it necessary for this child to live a lie? And it _was_ important - he could never forget that. But would Fíli understand?

Dís must have explained it. And Thorin could see in the child’s eyes, see the new knowledge and responsibility being taken on. And it should not have been. His sister’s child should have been able to live as the girl she was, should have had pretty dresses and jewels and friendships. Instead, he had sword practice, and they had kept a distance between him and others for fear of discovery. Instead, he was Thorin’s heir, and would have to live his life as something he wasn’t.

Thorin had harmed the most important ones in his life because of terrible necessity. But the harm was there, and it tore his heart into pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fíli doesn't feel he's living a lie, but after being told (at adolescence when he started getting his period) he had to rethink who he was. And what he finds is that he's not quite as much a "boy" as they've tried to raise him - he likes pretty dresses and would play with his soldiers the way girls often play with dolls. On the other hand, he loves sword fighting, and he likes girls, and given the choice he'd rather wear pants most days, thanks. So for the most part Thorin and Dís feel worse about it than Fíli does.


	216. Groceries - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dís goes to the store.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have my new iPad! And all my things were saved to my profile! I don't have to teach it how to spell Dwarf names again!

Dís looked at her list and then at the shelves. Prices had gone up again. They always went up in winter, even though food could be shipped from places that were still warm enough for growing. And sometimes they went up again in the summer because "local" food should be worth more.

And when there was a bad harvest, the prices went up again because the demand was higher than the supply.

And when there was a storm that meant a shipment was lost, the prices went up so the shipping companies could resupplying themselves.

(Sometimes Dís went to stores in towns of Men, and the prices were never so high there. But Men didn't like to see Dwarves shopping in their stores.)

She sighed at the prices and counted the money in her wallet. There would be no homecoming cake for her brother this time. And if this kept up, they'd be lucky to keep meat in the stew through the winter.


	217. Watching - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Children see and learn.

The day Thorin stopped allowing himself to be cheated was the day he realized just how closely his nephews were watching him. He hadn't thought of it before. It was just the price that had to be paid to live in a world of Men. Men would extort the highest prices they could from Dwarves and pay as little as possible. And Dwarves were so scattered at this point, without strong kingdoms of their own. They had no way to demand fairness.

But then he saw his nephews - the joy in his heart - hang their heads and allow boys of Men to kick dirt at them and call them names. Allow it like there was no choice. Allow it like it was true.

And Thorin would not let that be done to them.


	218. Music - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Music is important to the Durin family.

For some reason, Kíli found that a lot of people thought it strange that music was important to his family. They were lawyers, doctors, professionals, mostly. And Dwalin, who worked in construction. And for some reason it was strange that they liked music.

Kíli was surrounded by music, growing up. His mother played the clarinet. His uncle played piano. His father played guitar. (Legolas speculated once that his parents had split because his father played rock with his friends in their garage and is mother preferred classical music. Kíli had laughed, but that did show some of their fundamental differences.)

He and Fíli had started learning the violin young, and as they grew older their father had taught them rock as well as classical. Kíli took it all in, adding everything he learned into his own compositions.

They played as a family sometimes. He and Fíli played together often, of course, but he could convince their mother and uncle to play with them. And sometimes their father could be brought to play too, and if he came then their half sister would bring her flute.

Those were some of his favorite times, growing up. They all smiled at each other when they played (except for Gail and mom, but they couldn't smile and play at the same time). And their step-mother would be there listening and clapping along. And they were family at those moments, more than they ever were. Despite everything that had happened, all they had lost and all that had come between them, at those moments, wrapped in music, they were family.


	219. Emblem - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The logo for Durin Law has a long history.

When the boys were young they loved to bring Thorin things to spark stories. They would climb up into his lap and cuddle in while he spun words around them, fascinating them, scaring them, making them laugh. Sometimes he made the stories up whole cloth and others he took from real life, from the family history or the lives of his clients.

The first time they came to the office so he could babysit, he had hoped they would be content to sit in the corner of the room and play with their toys. Dís and Michael were cleaning and moving, and he had paperwork to do to file their divorce papers. So of course Kíli came over to him with his arms outstretched.

He lifted the boy into his lap and held him absently while he continued writing.

"What's that?" the boy asked, pointing to the logo at the top of the paper.

Thorin had long stopped noticing the seven stars and crown that had been the symbol of the firm since his grandfather started it. He sighed, eying the stacks of paper he still had to go through, but sat back to tell the story, helping Fíli up when the other boy joined them.

His great grandfather had immigrated to the US as a young man. He had been the oldest of seven sons, determined to make the money to bring the rest of them over after him. But by the time he had the money for passage for the next brother, letters had stopped coming. He traveled back himself to find that there had been a pogrom and there was no one left to come with him.

The seven stars were for the seven brothers, the crown one that they would have in heaven. The family business would be run in the name of family as long as they could, and the symbol of their family would be there for everyone to see.

The boys looked at the paper with something like awe, old enough to understand that it was their own family that was being discussed. Understanding that they were brothers like the ones represented by the stars.

Thorin remembered the day he first understood it himself, when he had looked at Frerin and Dís and wondered how his great grandfather must have felt to realize he'd lost everyone. Now Frerin was gone, and Thorin thought he finally understood.


	220. With You - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was one thing that was important to Dís as she grew up.

"I wouldn't have spent so many years following you around the continent if I was disappointed in you."

The words were said with humor, but Thorin wasn't inclined to smile at them. "You were a child. You had no choice."

Even if he was too serious, it didn't mean his sister had to be, and she tipped her head back and laughed. "I was a beloved princess. Balin wanted to kidnap me and give me a stable home for years."

"He did?" Thorin asked, interested despite himself. He had never known that Balin wanted to separate them.

"He did," Dís confirmed. "I'll grant that he wanted to tie you to a chair and feed you as well, but I had to fight him more than once for him to not talk to you about leaving me behind."

"I don't see why you did that," Thorin muttered rebelliously. "It's not like it was any kind of life for you, driving between cities of Men and leaving ourselves open to...." He clamped his teeth shut, not even willing to allude to the worst of it.

"Most of the time it wasn't as bad as all that," Dís assured him. She saw his look of complete disbelief. "Maybe it was," she conceded. "But it didn't feel that way. I was with you, and that was all that was important."


	221. Chalk Dust - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ori is not pleased by Frerin and Bungo's high spirits.

Ori was a patient person, which was one of he he reasons he got many of the students he had. He was willing to put up with shenanigans and could calm down most well intentioned mischief.

On the other hand, he wasn't able to be there every second. Dori was going to be late, so he had to make their dinner. But the boys had been working diligently when he left to go do prep work in the kitchen. In hindsight, that should have been warning enough. Bungo and Frerin were two of his more rambunctious students. As it was, though, he was preoccupied with thoughts of cooking - especially since Nori was due home that night as well, and Nori could be very particular.

He heard the shouts from the kitchen and went running, knife still in hand. The boys stilled instantly when the door was thrown open, but it was too late. They stared at him with wide eyes, and his own widened as he looked around the room.

They had been working on slates with chalk when he left. The slates were still there, with half finished work on them. The chalk had been ground almost to dust. They had probably been throwing the pieces at one another. And they had erasers in their hands, which they seemed to have been hitting each other with, if the cloud of dust covering everything was to be trusted.

"What have you done?" he demanded, and the shocked rage in his voice made the boys curl in on themselves. "Cleaning! You will do nothing else and you will not be released to go home until you have cleaned this entire room! And you will not come back until you replace my chalk!"

He had rarely been so angry with his children. The boys might not have ever heard him shout before, because he couldn't remember the last time he had. But he had to force himself back to the kitchen and his cooking before he did something he would regret. Because, quite aside from proving themselves untrustworthy, they had possibly ruined many things.

His books were in that room, and his paints and inks. He kept his own work covered when he had students, but chalk dust got everywhere. It would be in everything, and who knew what work would be delayed, would have to be restarted, would have _delayed payment_ because the boys couldn't sit and do their work unsupervised for ten minutes.

Ori liked Thorin's boys - loved their enthusiasm and desire to learn everything - but he knew he needed to call off their lessons until he had assessed the damage.


	222. Marzipan - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwalin shares a treat with Nori.

Dwalin loved to share everything with Nori. He loved to show him all the beautiful places in Erebor, introduce him to all of his friends, show him and feed him and teach him. He watched the delight on the former slave's face when he met dogs who wanted nothing more than to climb all over him and lick him. He watched the wonder as his love felt soft fabric or ran his fingers over bright colored murals.

He only ever gave him new foods in private, though. The expressions he made when he tasted something new and wonderful were nearly obscene.

He had brought home one of the treats he had always begged for as a child. The marzipan was freshly made, the vendor using an old recipe that was the best of the nutty sweet Dwalin had ever tasted. And he knew the slaves didn't have experience with sweets.

He pulled Nori into his arms, the redhead happily curling up against him. It always made him smile like a fool thinking about how much Nori loved him. He pulled out the paper wrapped sweet, enjoying Nori's curious expression, and then popped a piece of marzipan into his mouth.

While he chewed is own piece, he watched Nori's eyes widen. And then his eyes fluttered shut and he gave a soft moan. When he finished the bite, he licked his lips, pink tongue darting out to chase the taste over his lips.

It was more than Dwalin could do to resist. He out another bite between his lips and leaned down to feed it to Nori, chasing the taste into his sweet mouth. Nori moaned again, pressing into the kiss eagerly.

They didn't finish the marzipan until much later.


	223. Missing - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fíli has always been missing something.

Fíli had been missing something all his life. From the time he was five and a half and had been brought home to his mother's tears, he had been missing something.

There should have been a small brother. There should have been someone for him to take care of and play with, teach and learn with. There should have been another voice with his when singing to hi a mother, another body to sleep close together at night.

He should have had someone looking up to him as he learned to read and to fight. He should have had someone with him when he fell and hurt himself, someone who would run for help that was never far away. He should have had someone who would have helped convince Dwalin and uncle and mother that it wasn't so bad and they could have a little freedom.

Even still, he sometimes woke up feeling that something was missing. He'd never had that childhood he had wished for. Kíli didn't look up to him as a perfect older brother. He hadn't been able to take care of his brother the way he should have.

But Kíli's eyes lit up when he saw him. And Kíli learned with him as he had to relearn how to fight. And they went on small adventures around the rebuilt Erebor together. And they laughed together and teased. Kíli was never shy to throw an arm over his shoulder or knock their shoulders together.

It wasn't what he thought he'd been missing. When Fíli paused to think about it, his thinking had been a child's. But they were no longer children. And the feeling of missing something was gone.


	224. Between A Rock And A Hard Place - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Legolas has a choice to make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last of this round of shorts. Also, work is starting to get in gear and I'm on duty for the next _three weekends_. I don't expect to have much time or energy for writing until the end of September.

He had a choice. He could follow orders and help murder a friend, or he could help his friend and defy his father. It was an awful choice, but it was one.

Legolas watched the interaction of his father and the southern Dwarf with a tight mouth and narrow eyes. If it had only been the influence of the Dwarf, he would know what to do. But is father had been protecting them all for centuries at the cost of his own sanity.

He had gone against him enough when he helped the Dwarves escape. No one knew he had done it, which was the only reason he hadn't been locked up as a traitor. But now, there was no way to go his separate way and not be known.

Which meant that either he betrayed his friend or he betrayed his people. There would be no voice of reason if he was locked away as a traitor to his father.

He had a choice. A choice no one should ever have to make.


	225. Defiant - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin approaches Bag End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting a new round because I think I need to write and I haven't been able to make myself do it. Perhaps with a specified goal I will be able to get myself writing again.

Thorin looked at the rolling land, almost too green to be real, even in the dim light of night. Hobbits. He didn't know what made people so eager to see a race that was essentially trapped in their own home. Hobbits didn't grow and didn't learn. They were kept whre they were by the Rangers and their own lack of curiosity.

Gandalf felt that a Hobbit was the perfect addition to their quest. It made no sense to Thorin. A Hobbit would need to adapt to the outside world at the same time as he got ready to confront a dragon. If they weren't lucky, the Hobbit in question would shut down as soon as he learned about the outside world and all its differences.

His mouth compressed as he thought of it. Gandalf might think he was the one planning the quest for Erebor, but he would find he was wrong. Thorin was the one with the final say. Thorin would be the one to decide if this Hobbit was joining them.

If Gandalf thought differently, he could mount his own dragon slaying quest.


	226. Final - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dís' last days in Bree.

Dís went over the inventory with Lily the night before they left. The Hobbit woman had moved into the owner's rooms more than a week previously, when all of Dís and the girls' things had been finally packed and stowed for travel. Even the furniture they were bringing along had been loaded into wagons and covered over almost a week before they were scheduled to go.

She apologized once more for the number of boarders they were taking away from Bag End with them. The woman who had helped Bell run the boarding house for years was starting with almost an empty house. But most of the boarders had been Dwarves, and it wasn't like they were going to stay when their King had gone ahead.

The day before they left, Dís took one last walk around Bree. It had been her home - truly a home - for fifteen years. She knew the streets of it, the Men and Hobbits and Dwarves. She knew the best tailors, the easiest way to get to the guardhouse where her Fíli worked or the stable where her Kíli worked. She knew who to take in laundry from. She knew when to expect good weather and when bad was coming.

The last day, she looked at it with a stranger's eyes. In the end, that's all she had been there. Fifteen years was nothing on the more than a century they had been on the road. It was nothing. Bree was just another stopping point. Just another place for them to camp while planning to get their home back.

Once the day dawned, Dís would take her place at the head of the caravan to Erebor. She would take her place as a princess of Durin's line. Once the day dawned, she would be on her way home - to the only home that had ever mattered.

She didn't look back for a final look at Bree when they left in the morning. The only thing to do was to look forward. As she had always looked forward.


	227. Falter - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwalin explains to Balin why he made a mistake while training.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder: Dwalin has killed.

It wouldn't be possible to hide from Nori. He would insist on checking Dwalin's wounds when he got home, cleaning and binding them himself. It was what he always did in Gundabad. It was the job he thought he had there.

So he wouldn't try to hide it from Nori. But by the time they were together at home he was determined to have more cheer by then. It was hard when Balin was there with narrowed eyes, seeming to see right through him.

"You have never hesitated in a fight. Not even your first day in training. You have misaimed, you have lost, you have dropped your weapon because you didn't know how to use it. But you have never hesitated."

Dwalin looked away, reluctant to answer.

"Dwalin, what is wrong?"

Dwalin hesitated again. "I have killed Dwarves, brother," he whispered. Balin was silent, so Dwalin continued without looking up. "I was made to fight for their pleasure. They were death matches against any the Orcs decided on. I killed many in two months. Many who had no training and just desperation to live. I killed Dwarves."

He had known his opponent on the training mats well. They were of an age and had trained together. But for a single moment, when he was in the middle of a swing, he saw the Dwarves of Gundabad, attacking desperately with fear and rage. They had little skill but what they picked up in the Arena. It had been easy to defeat them. But no bout was done until there was only one left alive.

There had been no choice. Dwalin had no plans to die in Gundabad. He had a job to do. He had family to return to. So he had pushed his anguish to the back of his mind, and killed those he had to kill. He had drawn the bouts out as long as he could, though he hadn't the power to think of an alternative, but he had killed all of his opponents. He had been there two months. How many would be alive if not for him?

None of them, of course. The Arena was a death sentence. He knew that - had known it from the first day. The fighters would have gone on fighting until they died at someone else's hand. Dwalin tried to comfort himself with the thought that at least he could make the death swift and painless in the end.

But none of that mattered. He had killed. He had killed opponents who were unable to properly defend themselves. He had killed those he had no quarrel with. He had killed _Dwarves_.

And seeing his opponent in the training grounds, he had seen his opponents in the Arena, and he had pulled his swing. He had overbalanced. He had pulled a muscle in his shoulder with the force of reversing his swing, he had hit his head against the wall as he rolled through his fall, he had narrowly avoided severing his own leg as he tumbled.

Balin was still silent, and Dwalin risked glancing up at him. His brother's face was still and expressionless. Finally, after what seemed forever, one large hand was placed on Dwalin's head. It was a comfort he didn't deserve, a benediction he hadn't looked for. He closed his eyes and breathed out slowly, feeling some of the tension leave him. Balin had not turned from him, despite his weakness.


	228. Erratic - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bofur listens to Bifur's breathing after the accident.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late spring and summer of 1996.

Bofur stayed up throughout the night a lot through late spring and summer. He had so suddenly been thrust into the position of being "adult" and he didn't think he was ready for it.

But Bifur had only been a little older when he had taken both of them in. So Bofur couldn't shrink from the responsibility. He stayed up in the night watching over his brother and cousin. He mended things that he could, checked and rechecked their food supplies. He did all the cleaning and prepared everything for the next day so he wouldn't have to think about it when Bifur might need him at any moment.

And then he sat in the bedroom and listened. Bombur's breath was soft and regular in sleep. And Bifur... Bifur's breath rasped in his throat. Which made it so much easier to hear it stutter. He didn't sleep well or deeply and every time he startled awake it was audible as a catch in his breathing. While he was awake, his breath came fast. And when he fell asleep again, there was often a long moment where he didn't breathe at all.

Bofur often found himself holding his own breath until the snoring inhale came. And he would keep watch through the night, sitting against the wall because Bifur and Bombur took up the bed, eventually falling into an uneasy sleep while still listening for changes in his cousin's breathing.


	229. Loved - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin reminds Bell of something important.

Bell had spent many years alone. After the Fell Winter, she had run from her home to a place where she was unknown. There were few members of either side of her family in Bree, and she never sought them out. After what she had lost, she didn't want anyone else close. She was afraid of the loss that she was sure would come from anyone entering her world.

Bell knew how to be alone. She had her boarders, but they were almost all stolid, unimaginative Hobbit men. They were as uninterested in her as she was in them. It was safe that way. They paid their rent, she cooked their meals, and they had little other contact. She didn't want any. She was alone, and that was her choice.

Dwarves seemed to break through her solitude. First Bofur, who drew her in because of his travels. That let her know that it was the constant routine of her Hobbit boarders' days that left them safely out of her mind. She was aware of Bofur as she wasn't of any of the others.

And then Thorin....

Oh, Thorin. He entered her mind and then her heart and the heart of her home. He entered her arms and her bed. Thorin was the first person she had cooked to please since she had left the Shire. He was the first one to call her Bell since she had been 21. 

And she was in Thorin's mind as well. He made her things in his forge - twisted wire beads, gold pendants and earrings. He brought her things that were shiny and things that smelled nice, saying he was reminded of her. He greeted her with kisses.

He touched her like she was Tinúviel come back to like from the legends.

And she allowed him to draw closer, and remembered what it was like to be courted. Slowly, she remembered what it was like to be loved.


	230. Cut - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ori feels ashamed around others until Dori shows him that they aren't the only ones with things to be ashamed of.

Ori hung back, holding Dori's hand. He didn't like going to the market. Everyone talked about them, and it made the young boy feel ashamed. He didn't want to hear about his mother who was gone, or speculation on who his father was, or anything about how long suffering Dori was for raising a child who was "hardly even his brother."

He dragged his feet, trying to get Dori to turn and go home. They needed food, but Ori would happily go hungry to not hear what he knew he would.

"Look at them! Children raising children."

"And part of Erebor as well. No wonder their mother is crazy, being from that ruined kingdom."

"At least _I_ know who my father is."

With each word, Ori huddled closer to his brother. Finally, Dori glanced at him and then up at the speakers, eyes hard. "I know who your father is too," he said. "And where he spends his nights."

The speaker flushed darkly, looking shamed by Dori's remark. It made Ori stand straighter, realizing that he wasn't the only one who had something to be ashamed of.

He wasn't afraid of the market after that.


	231. Immortal - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Immortal doesn't mean young....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was asked why no one - not Elves, Men, or Dwarves - seemed to object to the plight of the Hobbits. I felt I should address at least part of it.

Elrond was thousands of years old. Bilbo discovered this while they were at Rivendell. He had been alive for far more than an Age. Most of the Elves of Rivendell had. (It was one more thing that made him wonder how Estel could believe he was truly Elrond's son.)

Elves were susceptible to disease - otherwise they wouldn't have need of doctors. They were not prone to plagues and diseases that killed, but they could get sick. And they could be physically harmed by others. But they were immortal, and they didn't breed quickly or easily.

It was hard to believe that all of the Elves he met and saw in Rivendell had been alive - had mostly been adults - when the Shire was first settled. They were old, and the more he saw them the more he understood it. They were old, and they were weary. Weary of life, weary of the world, weary of others.

It made sense, as he thought about it, why they stood by while he and his people were used for the gain of the Rangers. Rangers came frequently to Rivendell. He heard that the Rangers might be related to Elrond and some of the other Elves. Of course they would choose to help the Rangers over Hobbits who didn't like outsiders (and from all accounts, that dislike had been what had brought them to settle the Shire).

Of course they would sometimes come to the Shire to gawk at them. Seeing others live must make the Elves feel alive as well. Certainly, most of the ones Bilbo saw in Rivendell couldn't be said to be living. There was more to living than existence. And that was all that their immortal lives seemed to hold in Rivendell.


	232. Shackles - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> when Dwalin was younger, he didn't like repair work.

Dwalin often brought things home for repairs. It was something he could do while he was on leave from fighting. He liked being useful to the army and guard even if he couldn't fight without seeing the Arena.

He took pleasure in the work. Fixing things, making them useful again, beautiful again, made him feel useful again himself. (He didn't have to feel beautiful, and besides, Nori's always took care of that.)

He also took pleasure in showing off for Nori. He knew how to repair and tend many different kinds of weapons: axes, swords, knives, pikes, slings, bolas. And he could show Nori how to use them and how to tend them. He could repair mail, helmets, greaves, armor, vambraces - full plate, partial plate, boiled leather. He could repair mess kits, tinder boxes, supply packs. He could even sometimes make new keys for locks that had lost them.

It was work he wouldn't have thought to take before. He couldn't travel while tending the stores. He spent hours on it that wouldn't be able to be spent on the training grounds sparring. It was work that would have felt like prison before. But now he was glad to do it, and he found that he loved it.


	233. Objective - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Legolas wants to be a scientist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning for explosions (for science!) and asshole parents.

Legolas kept calm when his experiment exploded. There was a reason he worked in the back yard, after all. The gardener could cover up even the worst of it.

He picked up his tongs to look at the burnt mess of his experiment, trying to figure out what had gone wrong. He knew what he hoped it was, but he had to put that in the back of his mind and not think about it. A scientist had to remain objective, and he couldn't let his emotions affect his analysis.

The housekeeper came out as he was examining the ash and looking for tells of different kinds of reactions. She gave him a find and exasperated smile as she handed him a note. He thanked her and set his work aside.

It was from his mother. She was flying out to meet his father and they would be gone until the end of the month.

The paper crumpled in hands that shook. He had a match next week, and they had promised that this time they would come. The awards ceremony for the science fair was the day before. _His birthday_ was before the end of the month.

He took a deep breath, smoothing the paper against the rail of the veranda. A scientist couldn't let his emotions cloud his objectivity. If his hands still shook when he turned back to his ruined experiment, he pretended not to notice.


	234. Strength - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the twins thoughts on the strength of the people around them.

When the twins were young, they were certain that their mother was the strongest person in the world. She could clean the whole house. She could pick both of them up like it was nothing. She could cut onions without crying. There could be no one stronger.

When they were slightly older, their cousin Kíli had to be the strongest. He could face down horses without flinching and calm even the angriest one.

Slightly older again, and they saw that their cousin Fíli faced down angry people. He was part of the guard and protected everyone.

The first time they were allowed in the forge, they were amazed at the strength of their father and uncle Dwalin. They worked with fire. They _shaped metal_. They could swing a hammer so hard it made sparks leap. Nothing could be more impressive than that. There could be no one stronger.

At thirteen, they followed their parents on an adventure that took them farther from Bree than they had ever expected to be. They saw their father quietly command the group. They saw their cousins fight ferociously.

They saw their mother face a creature who scared them like nothing else. She spoke gently and treated it gently, keeping her promises to it even when they were sure it would have happily eaten them all.

She started crying when they met up with their father again. But that didn't matter. Their mother was obviously the strongest person in the world.


	235. Confusion - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last day of the farmer's market.
> 
> October 2013

The last day of the summer market was always chaos. People who hadn't come all through the season came out for the last day. People who could only afford a table for one day - or only wanted to give up one day to sitting and selling - usually chose the last day.

Bilbo's was a faithful customer of the market, not the least because Bofur always had a stall - a nice one with a proper tent to keep off rain and sun - where he sold small furniture, cutting boards, wooden spoons, figures, and toys. The last day was always a little sad. Certainly, there was a winter market, but it always felt different when it was inside, and some of his favorite stalls couldn't come to the winter market because they couldn't grow through the winter.

He often spent most of the four hours that the market was open going from stall to stall and talking to his friends on that last day. They were market friends, and many of them he didn't see outside of the market - although he gave them discounts if they stopped at Bag End, and he stopped to chat if they ran into each other on the street.

At least he knew that this year he would have closer contact with the Gamgees. Frodo had thrown himself to the ground behind their table to play with Sam and the baby. He had good friends in the Gamgee children, and Bilbo was glad for it. The market was the easiest place for him to introduce his new son to other children before school, and even since school had started he looked forward to seeing his young market friends.

His conversation with the older Gamgees took a long time. He had to be snatched in between other customers and making plans was difficult in all the hubbub, but plans were eventually made. And then Bilbo called to Frodo and they made their way through the crowds and back down the road to home, bags piled in their little trolley and rolling happily behind them.

After the confusion of the market, it was far too quiet at home. Bilbo found himself talking too loudly, still modulating his voice for crowds, and eventually he out on music. It seemed the only way to ease himself back from the edge of chaos.


	236. Stop Time - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo says farewell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goes with:  
> [Thorin and Bilbo discuss how they got their children](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1596323/chapters/3521936)  
> [Bilbo plants a child in his garden](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/4710063)  
> [Bilbo and Thorin are happy with their children near](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/4768665)  
> [Kíli watches Thorin carve](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2359988/chapters/6000878)
> 
> Warning for aftermath of BOFA. Just remember that he gets better.

"Farewell, good thief."

Thorin could hardly be seen through the bandages. The bandages that were all bright red with his blood. The blanket was pulled up, so Bilbo didn't know the state of his legs or anything lower than his chest. But one arm was splinted, bandages covered half his head and one eye, and there were no places that bandages _weren't_. 

Bilbo grasped one of Thorin's hands tightly. There was no point now worrying about hurting him, and he needed to make sure Thorin felt his grasp. But despite that, he wished he could stop time here - here where Thorin could still answer that grip with his own.

"Farewell, King under the Mountain," he answered, voice not managing to remain steady.

There was a twitch of movement around Thorin's beard, and it took Bilbo a long moment to realize there was the ghost of a smile there. "There is much I would beg your forgiveness for."

"You have it," Bilbo said instantly. "And my apologies as well, for the things I did."

Thorin's voice was fainter when he next spoke. "I would part with love."

"You have it," Bilbo repeated, voice keening. "You have always had it."

"And you shall always have mine."

The grip that answered his own grew lax, and Bilbo's fingers instinctively tightened. "Thorin?" His voice rose in a wail. "Thorin!"


	237. Voice - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is a while before Bell hears Bifur's voice.

When she first met hm, Bell thought that Bifur had no voice. He was fierce and he was silent, an axe embedded in his skull, bushy brows drawn down over his eyes as he examined her silently. He said nothing at that first meeting. Nor did she, cowed by his fearsome appearance.

He was Bofur's cousin, so she gave him another chance. How could she not, when she had given Dwalin another chance? And Dwalin was sweet as honey and good as teatime. Who knew but Bifur would be the same.

It was months before she heard Bifur's voice, and by then she trusted him utterly. He was watching Calce while she cleaned and cooked. When she was done, she went to take her baby back and found him holding the child, leaning over her, and talking to her.

His voice was low, but she could hear the roughness to it. It was a gentle voice, but a voice that hurt to speak. She couldn't understand the words he was saying, but then neither could Calce. The child was looking up at him in fascination, clinging tightly to one of his fingers with her tiny hand. He was smiling as he spoke, and the tiny girl smiled back at him.

Bell quietly left.


	238. Tease - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sometimes, Dwalin likes to tease.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: smut!
> 
> I am going to be seriously busy _all day_ tomorrow. Expect two shorts on Sunday.

Nori's chest heaved with frantic breaths and he could hear how they sobbed in his throat. That Dwalin seemed as collected as he had been when they started was patently unfair.

"You're teasing," he whined as he was eased back from the edge one more time. He knew he wouldn't have been able to recognize it before. When they'd been in Gundabad he'd had a hard enough time recognizing gentleness. The idea that someone could experience pleasure through pleasing someone else - that you could forge a bond this way - wasn't one he had imagined even in his wildest dreams.

"You're teasing," he repeated, entire body trembling.

Dwalin smiled at him, also aware how much had changed. And Nori was so keyed up that it barely took a touch before he threw his head back and howled with release.


	239. Guess - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwalin catches Nori unaware.

There was no greeting when Dwalin closed the door, so he assumed he was the only one home. But a flash of red caught his eye as he passed the sitting room and he looked in to see Nori bent over a book. It was probably a medical book given him by Óin or the hospital, and he was focused on struggling through it so much that he hadn't heard Dwalin coming home.

Dwalin went to call out, but stopped himself. A smile crossed his face as he thought of what he had done when he found his mother or brother that engrossed in work when he was younger.

He crept up quietly, glad that the chair Nori was in faced the fireplace so that not even his shadow gave him away. He brought his hands around to cover Nori's eyes and started to say "guess who" before he realized how his husband's body had tensed.

Nori jerked his head back, hitting Dwalin in the face. It would have been enough to give him a bloody nose if he hadn't let go and stepped back almost before he aw it coming. The book made a bang on the floor as Nori dropped it and surged to his feet, rounding with fists balled, ready to defend himself.

He looked uncertain and then ashamed when he saw that it was Dwalin. He bit his lip and looked away, hands loosening. Dwalin stared at him in surprise, but was alert enough to see how he was shaking.

"Someone grabbing you from behind wanted to hurt you," Nori said softly, and Dwalin realized he had reminded his husband of Gundabad.

He was broken out of his own self recriminations when Nori began stuttering apologies. He reached out, not liking the way Nori flinched from his touch. "I will not come on you unaware again," he said.


	240. Lower - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwalin gives advice to his king.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goes with:  
> [Fíli wants to be like his aunt](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1335373/chapters/2861551)  
> [Bilbo meets the King of the Dwarves](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1596323/chapters/3507539)  
> [Thorin comes home to Erebor](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3567695)  
> [The Dwarves in Ered Luin spend the Fell Winter under stone](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/4630359)  
> [Dís gives her sister advice](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/4326429)

"You won't see a move coming if you're looking in my face," Dwalin said, crouched over his King, who was on her back on the ground, unarmed and having trouble catching her breath. "You have to look lower. You have to watch my _body_ , not my eyes."

He caught the anger and frustration that flashed through her eyes and sighed when she started groping for her sword, breath still too fast and without rhythm.

"Thrailís-- Thorin. I've been training more than half my life. You've been at this day and night for two months. There's more to being king than battle prowess."

Her mouth set in the stubborn line it got when she was determined to do what she shouldn't. She struggled to her feet. "Again."

"I will not," Dwalin said, remaining where he was. "You need rest and you need food and you need to do _something else_."

She shifted, and he knew she was going to attack anyway. Without letting his thoughts enter his eyes - which she was still focused on - he kicked out and brought her legs out from under her. She fell to the ground, the wind knocked out of her. "You need to rest," he insisted. "And you need to remember to look _lower._ "


	241. Experience - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori remembers being a teenager

"You just don't _understand_ , Mr. Conell!"

Nori didn't smile, because he remembered being that age. He remembered being a teenager and feeling everything so strongly that it felt like the continuing existence of the world hung on whether a girl agreed to go out with him. He remembered being certain that no one - _no one_ \- had ever felt what he was feeling.

So many people had dismissed him, saying that of course they understood. They were older, they had _more experience_ , they knew exactly what he was feeling. His parents, his teachers, his brother - all of them thought they knew exactly what was in his head and in his heart.

Now that he was older he understood them. Because he was pretty sure he _did_ understand. Because he had _more experience_. He could recognize things in his own life that were truly important. He could recognize when something hurt but would fade. He recognized how what was inside himself was reflected in everyone around him.

But he could remember being a teenager. And a teenager didn't have that experience and couldn't recognize those things. To a teenager, all of it was new. And, being new, it was something inexplicable.

So he didn't smile. What he did was to put aside all of the reports he'd been given, leaving empty space on his desk. Then he turned his chair so he was facing the student directly with nothing in between them. He leaned forward, and caught the boy's eye.

"You're right. I don't understand. Will you explain it to me?"


	242. Fatality - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin has been touched by a lot of death.

Thorin died by inches. He was the leader of the Dwarves of Erebor. Every death touched him. Every death was a piece torn from him.

The worst, of course, were the ones close to him. His grandfather - dead to an Orc's broadsword. His head thrown into the middle of battle to destroy the morale of his people. His brother shot five times and still holding on until Thorin could get to him. His father, vanished without a trace. His mother, frozen in the first winter after she gave her blankets and coat to children who had none. Fundin had died at Azanulbizar as well.

The dead at Azanulbizar had been beyond counting. Thorin, despite all of is wounds, had set the fire that burned them himself. He couldn't even give them a proper burial, and that tore at him. And if he couldn't, then he would consign them to the flames himself.

So many died of starvation or cold or disease in the first years without a home, and he could do nothing for them either. They were buried in soft earth far from the stone of their homes. He went to funerals and led mourning until he knew more about grief than about joy.

He wondered when it would be him. It was amazing to him that with all the deaths that had come and had destroyed him he was still alive. The only thing left to him was Dís and her children. One day, he would be lost to them or they to him. He was never sure if it was right to hope that he died first, but that was his hope. He didn't think he could survive more loss.


	243. Happy Birthday To You - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo wants to celebrate something that isn't Thorin's birthday.

Thorin looked at the table laden with food. It was almost amusement he felt, because he could think of no reason Bilbo's would have snuck into his rooms to feed him. He knew the Hobbit didn't think he ate enough, but compared to a Hobbit he surely didn't. It had never driven Bilbo to personally feeding him before.

"Isn't it obvious?" Bilbo asked, impatient after Thorin's lack of response. "Happy birthday!"

Thorin looked at him. "Bilbo, it is far from my birthday."

The Hobbit colored lightly and shrugged. "Of course not. It's just... Oh." He frowned in frustration. "I don't see why _I'm_ the only one who remembers. Today marks five years since Kíli slew the dragon."

"You are not the only one to remember that," Thorin said.

"Let me finish!" Bilbo looked so angry he was almost ready to stamp his foot to get his way. "That's not all that happened that day! With the dragon dead, that was the day you fully became the king under the mountain. That was the day that Erebor was saved and born again."

Thorin shook his head, but Bilbo continued before he could say anything. "Battles are all well and good, but _today_ is the day we came into Erebor. _Today_ is when she became a kingdom again."

He held out a goblet and Thorin took it almost reflexively as he thought about Bilbo's words.

"Happy birthday," Bilbo repeated fondly. "I can't bake a cake for a mountain, but I can for its King. Happy birthday, Thorin - King under the mountain."


	244. Stare - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> people always look at Bifur.

The accident had been in 1996. Almost twenty years later, Bifur still wasn't used to the stares. And now they had so much more to stare for.

He knew many people were afraid of his scars. They got stares from young and old, and whispers behind him from those old enough to know that you "shouldn't ask questions." The young would sometimes come up to him and ask, and they were the ones who were willing to wait for him to be able to answer. His slurred speech was just another reason adults stared.

People stared when he was out with Bilbo sometimes. His husband didn't hesitate to hold his hand in public. Sometimes it was easy to tell why people were staring, other times not so much. Was it because he was scary and Bilbo was smaller and rounder and entirely sweet? Was it because they were both men? Was it because they were middle aged and showing affection in public?

And now.... He never quite got used to it, no, but he hadn't been so upset by the whispers in years. He was only glad that Frodo, smiling and holding his hand tightly, didn't hear the things being said. The boy only interpreted the question of if he needed anything innocently. He didn't understand that they thought Bifur was kidnapping him. And that hurt. It hurt more than anything else.


	245. Solve - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin has a solution.

Thorin came out of his meeting with Bofur feeling cautiously hopeful. They needed to come up with a solution and this was closer than they had gotten on their own.

There had never been any thought of aborting the child. Unexpected it might be - dangerous it might be - but it was not unwelcome. It was a child they all would love to have. But a child was a worse target than an adult. A child wouldn't understand danger. A child could not defend itself. To have this child was to condemn it to death.

Until Thorin saw Bofur, he had had no ideas how they could keep the child alive. But Bofur was not a Longbeard. Bofur was not from Erebor. They had not been found while they were with the caravan that Bofur had been part of. Bofur would not be in any danger.

But it meant that the child, who they all loved already, would be lost to them. It was the best solution Thorin could think of, but it was no good at all.


	246. Tactile - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin's beard is a new experience for Bell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit risqué.

Hobbits had no facial hair (barring a few with very strong Stoor blood). Certainly they had plenty of hair on their heads, and more than anyone else on their feet, but none on their faces.

It was just one more thing that was different about courting Thorin. He looked different from a Hobbit man because of his beard - among other things! And the feel of his whiskers was something she hadn't known before.

She liked the way his meticulously kept beard felt against her palms when she held his face in a kiss. She liked the way it felt against her own cheeks when he nuzzled her.

The way it felt against her breasts when rested against them or saw to her pleasure through them made her shiver with delight.

The scratch against her thighs was nearly enough to undo her.


	247. Return - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dís only wants one thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early post today because I will shortly be on a train until tomorrow and without wifi. See you soon from Florida!

Dís knew that Thorin often thought about Erebor, but she had been very young when they were forced out of it. She had few memories of the mountain she had always been taught was her home. All she knew was poverty and roaming until she had settled in the Blue Mountains to raise a family.

Dís knew how to be a princess in want. She knew how to lead their people through example, how to work hard and scrimp and share everything. She didn't think she would know what to do with the fortunes that were in the mountain. She certainly wouldn't know what to do with ladies in waiting.

Dís knew what her brother was planning and why. And she agreed with him - of course she did! She knew as well as anyone what Dwarves went through in the world of Men and Elves. She knew as well as anyone that they needed a haven of safety.

Still, when it came down to it, it was all she could do to not tell them to call it off.

"Return to me," she whispered in the ears of her son's and her brother, her cousins and her friends. "Return to me. Nothing else matters."


	248. Devious - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fíli and Kíli can be clever when they want to be.

"But Kíli, what's wrong?"

"Oh, it's terrible, uncle Bilbo. We have to hurry!"

Bilbo puffed behind his nephew as quick as he could go, not even paying attention to the direction they were going. But something was very wrong and needed his presence.

"Bilbo!"

Bilbo turned and saw Thorin and Fíli bearing down on them. Thorin looked just as desperate as he felt, and his own anxiety ratcheted up. If it was something that Thorin was upset about then it had to be something that effected the entire kingdom.

"In here!" Fíli cried, waving them through a door.

Bilbo and Thorin ran into the room without thought, looking around for what was so wrong. But the room was empty of any crisis. It had a warm fire, a soft bed, a delicious feast, and nothing else.

And then the door locked behind them.

They turned as one.

"What is going on," Thorin demanded.

"You've both been working too hard," Kíli answered from beyond the door. "You need to relax. When have you last spent time together? I bet you can't even remember. Now you're going to stay in there until we're ready to let you out. There's food and... Other things."

"Kíli, you have to let us out!" Bilbo exclaimed. "There are things we need to be doing!"

"Uncle," Fíli said, voice rich with amusement. "You trusted Kíli without question. You need to rest. We'll take care of everything. Don't worry."

There were footsteps, and Thorin and Bilbo were left alone.


	249. Forget - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin never wants to forget.

Thorin was old enough to follow his father and grandfather around the camps and take stock of the people of Erebor in the first months of their exile. He was old enough to go with them to the cities of Men and Elves looking for aid.

Thorin tasked himself with remembering the names of all the dead he was told. He wrote them down and read them over and over. Everyone from his grandmother down to the smallest, poorest child. He took the time to mourn every single one - every single person and every family taken down all together.

His list only grew as the years passed. The first years were hard. Many fell to starvation or the reeling temperatures of winter that they weren't quite ready for at first. Diseases seemed worse out in the wilds, and births were harder. The list grew and grew, and he knew the names of every one of the dead of Erebor.

The list was lost after Azanulbizar. Thorin suspected Dís of destroying it while the battle raged. He never asked her, and she never said anything, but he knew of no one else who had known of his list.

He repeated the names to himself over and over, creating the list again in his mind where no one could take it away. But the first time he hesitated over a name he panicked, sure he would forget them all - all of his friends and relatives, all of the strangers he would never know.

The next day, he took ink and paper from Balin and started the task of rewriting his list. Name by name, he mourned them all again.


	250. Excite - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Balin is finally allowed off bedrest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goes with:  
> [Balin has an exam near the end of his pregnancy](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1155507/chapters/2372100)  
> [Dwalin takes care of Balin and his child after a difficult delivery](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1689998/chapters/3732977)  
> [Balin changes his child’s diaper](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/4557687)

Dwalin out a hand on Balin's shoulder, clearly seeing the excitement and worry on his features. "Only a short walk out, mind. And I will carry Khaíli."

Balin made a face, because the child was his and he wanted to be the one to show off. But he had listened to Óin's medical orders, and he felt how weak he still was after three months. He made none of the arguments he wanted to make and set about fussing over the baby. He only let Dwalin take Khaíli when he was certain that the child was thoroughly wrapped and ready to go out.

Dwalin offered an arm and Balin forced his pride down as he took it. He had been bed ridden for months, and he needed the support no matter how it galled to take it. They opened the door and left the house for the cold street outside, walking slowly as they went up one block and then turned around to head home.

"Mister Balin!" Kíli stopped himself before bowling into them, quivering with excitement, beaming up at them.

Balin smiled back, looking at his distant cousin, over twenty, but still so young. He wondered what his little Khaíli would be like at that age, and couldn't help but hope his child would have some of Kíli's enthusiasm and joy.

"Kíli," he answered, the gravity of his voice belied by the smile on his face. Kíli lit up more at the acknowledgement and leapt into Balin's arms. Before Balin quite knew what was going, he was supporting Kíli against his hip in a way that hardly gave him any of the child's weight.

"Is this my new cousin?"

"This is Khaíli," Balin answered, watching as the young cousins looked at each other with fascination. It was a good start, and he couldn't wait to introduce others to his child.


	251. Cheating - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dwarves don't cheat.

There were things that Men and Hobbits didn't understand about Dwarves. Many things, but a few that had profound effect on their lives.

Dwarves were fond of gold. Of course they were. But they were also fond of iron and stone.

Money was not the first thought of Dwarves. But they had no settled home and needed the money to take care of their people.

Dwarves hid their children to the best of their ability. They did it for protection.

Dwarves, unlike Men, could not be wooed away from those they loved. Dwarves loved once and deeply and never strayed.


	252. Recoil - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori likes the way his body reacts to fighting.

There was nothing like fighting to let you know you were alive. There was nothing like it, and Nori liked nothing better.

His arms ached with it. He had been sparring with Dwalin for hours, and the way the clang of swords hitting each other reverberated all the way through him. Dwalin was the best, all decisive action and full follow through. It was everything that Nori loved about him, through the armed combat, and the unarmed combat, and everything else they did after the combat was over.

And then he went to the shooting range. He cleaned his guns and prepped them, then took them one at a time to the targets. When he had first shot, the kick back knocked him off his feet. That had been ages ago, and he hadn't fallen in years. Still, though, the recoil reminded him that he was alive.


	253. Treat - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo makes a treat for the Dwarves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goes with:  
> [Bard has her first kiss](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/4163631)  
> [Bilbo meets Dwalin for the first time](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1145580/chapters/2319814)  
> [Bofur and Bombur decide to go on Thorin’s quest](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1470961/chapters/3126028)  
> [Balin arrives at Bag End](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1689998/chapters/3881320)  
> [Óin considers his cousin Balin](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1155507/chapters/2366815)  
> [Dwalin talks to Nori](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1392592/chapters/3052771)  
> [Bilbo is used to being stared at](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3372758)  
> [Thorin explains gender to Kíli](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2359988/chapters/5990315)

The kitchens in Rivendell were far larger than they needed to be. Granted, Elves were also far larger than they needed to be, but there was no reason for everything in the settlement to be so big. Bilbo braved them anyway.

With everything the Dwarves had given him just in the months they had traveled together, he needed to give something back. And what could he give? Nothing but food - that's what Hobbits did best.

While the Elf cooks looked on in amusement, Bilbo climbed onto the shelves to see what was there. Elves had lots of fresh greens and fresh fruits but not much in the way of the meats that Dwarves preferred.

Still, knowing something of Dwalin, Bilbo thought he had an idea of what he could do.

He pulled down fruits and berries, and nuts and flour. With help from the cooks who could properly reach the stove and oven, he created a quick jam. He found up the nuts to mix with the flour and create a dough.

By the end of the day, Bilbo was able to rejoin his Dwarves and give them a treat. Dwalin was given the first jam cookie and smiled while eating it with gusto. Bilbo blushed with happiness when he was complimented. He had never felt as close to anyone as to this group of Dwarves, and a small treat was the least he could do for them.


	254. Underneath - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori is something of a vigilante.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentions of sexism and racism and fetishizing of Asian women.
> 
> Here are previous pieces:  
> [Fíli goes to the prom](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1335373/chapters/2902849)  
> [Thorin fights for custody of his nephews](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3149962)  
> [Thorin Oakenshield is free](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3449702)  
> [Three times people were done](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3575459)  
> [Bofur gets beat up again](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1470961/chapters/3175739)  
> [Thrailís is assaulted by friends of his brother](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3761203)  
> [Kíli meets a new girl in school](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/4684665)  
> [Kíli looks up to his uncle](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2359988/chapters/5326133)

Few saw past the surface. Nori liked that. It meant that she could brush her hair out long and straight and gleaming and pile it on top of her head and dress in skirts slit all the way up without anyone wondering why. It meant she could be demure and quiet and obedient and no one would think it was an act. It meant no one really tried to get to know her.

Nori knew what men thought of women, and what people in general thought of Asian women. It was bullshit - of course it was bullshit! But it was something she could use. So she played at being the exotic, well behaved woman. She faked an accent when she thought she could get away with it - which was most of the time, because white people were so stupid they deserved everything she could do to them. She pretended not to understand English well.

And they fell for it every time.

And when they pressed for more than she consented to, they were always surprised when she suddenly knew English perfectly and could taken down men twice her size with a combination of street fighting and well hidden knives. (If they didn't pressure her - if they accepted a no for what it was - she still surprised them by suddenly knowing English perfectly, but in those few cases it was to congratulate them for not being total dickbags.)

And then she went home. She went home and washed off her perfect make up. She changed into jeans and a sweatshirt. She released her hair to spill long and straight and gleaming down her back. And she cuddled up to the one who had never believed the act, who had always looked for what was under the surface. She nestled against the woman she shared her life with, who could give her what no one else could.


	255. Disaster - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the Fell Winter hits the Shire.

The Rangers were good protectors for the Shire. They made sure that no one who came in was armed. They kept the outside world from destroying the fragile peace the Hobbits had worked for.

But even the Rangers couldn't always help. The winter was the worst in living memory, and there were few Rangers patrolling around the Shire. The entire north was frozen and the Rangers had to protect their own people.

It was a disaster all through the Shire. The Brandywine froze. Wolves came in, not stopped by the borders the way people were. They were starving as well, and small Hobbits who had no idea how to fight back were the perfect target for them.

Bilbo spent most of the season hiding in Bag End with his parents. They didn't have enough wood for the fire, so they huddled together. They didn't have enough food, so they ate sparingly. His parents tried to give up their portions to him, but he wouldn't let them.

In the spring, the Rangers came back to a Shire that had suffered the worst disaster in their recorded history. They returned to entire families wiped out, killed by wolves or frozen or starved in their own homes.


	256. Admire - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli admires many people.

My Role Model  
By Kíli Sixten (age 10)

A role model is a person you look up to and want to be like. I look up to a lot of people for a lot of reasons. My mom reads to us and always has time for us and she does the voices the best. Uncle Thorin works hard and is a good lawyer and I want to be like him when I grow up. Cousin Balin is also a lawyer and he is good at making people feel better. Cousin Dwalin is big and strong and I want to be able to pick people up too. Fíli is always good at everything and is the best brother ever. Dad is fun and always has good things to do when we see him. I can't pick one person to be like when I grow up. I want to be like everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first line was part of the assignment and they were told to put it in their writing.
> 
> Kíli got a star and a smily face for this. Dís had it on the fridge for a long time and photocopied it so his dad could have a copy too.


	257. Nightmare - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> what might have been....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Canon deaths ahoy!
> 
> Just remember that [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/656066/chapters/1205770) is what really happened.

The nightmare was always the same. He was running through molasses, barely moving no matter what he tried. And the world around him moved so fast.

And he saw things as he tried to run - things that hadn't happened, but were so real.

A mace came down against an unprotected, golden head. He could hear the crunch as though he were right there, though he was still so far. He saw the head spin around, beyond how heads should be able to turn. He saw the blue eyes turn lifeless - as though he were right there, though he was still so far.

A scream rang out clear like a bell, all the louder because there were no sounds of battle. A second form leaped into clarity, swiped away like nothing. It hit the ground and rolled, one arm impossibly flat against its back, head tipped back to stare unblinking at the sky.

And then (oh, then). He had no voice in the dream. He couldn't scream warning to the figure only just starting to turn. He couldn't give any preparation for the sight that would greet blue eyes deep like the Water. He couldn't do anything to bring attention away from the twisted bodies on the ground and bring it to the hulking form, the mace and sword, the white Warg with bared teeth, inching closer and closer.

Bilbo always woke hearing the sound of Azog's triumphant laughter. He buried his face in his hands, keening grief for something that never happened, unable to turn and look in case he found himself alone in bed.

One strong arm drew him in, Thorin a light sleeper in the best of times, and he turned and buried himself against Thorin's chest, wakeful the rest of the night.


	258. Intent - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin's eyes are very blue.

Bilbo had never seen eyes as blue as Thorin's. The blue of them shifted with his mood; sparkling when he was happy, snapping when he was angry, so dark when he was deep in desire.

And once they reached the mountain, they were almost glazed over with the intensity of his desire for gold, for the Arkenstone. It was frightening, and Bilbo would do almost anything to see it gone.


	259. Superstar - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ori has ideas.

Kíli laughed when Ori mentioned costumes and choreography.

"It's not like I'm some kind of superstar," he said with a grin.

"Your YouTube channel would beg to differ," Ori said, arms crossed almost defensively.

Usually, Kíli would feel bad about that, but the fact remained that it was wrong. "I have some subscribers and a lot of hits. It's not a big deal!"

"It is!" Ori insisted. "People like your music. People like _you_. We can make your videos match your music!"

Kíli had always been popular. People usually liked him. Still, the compliment made him grin and blush. "What did you have in mind?" he asked. Because there was no reason not to listen to Ori's ideas, even if he didn't plan to go along with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He totally goes along with them.


	260. Veneer - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo thinks about the Rangers.

During the time at Rivendell, Bilbo had time to observe many things. One of the tings he observed the most was the Rangers. It was the first time he'd seen them since learning the truth about the Shire. Dressed like a Dwarf, he was still able to go unseen like a Hobbit, and he put that to the best use.

He wasn't pleased with what he saw. He had always thought the Rangers were polite and helpful. They had good manners and good advice. They protected the Shire from the world outside - made sure that all visitors were unarmed, kept wars from coming into the land of the Hobbits.

But he didn't see anything behind the veneer of politeness. As soon as the Dwarves were past, polite smiles turned to sneers. When they didn't think that anyone could hear them, the things they said about even the Elves giving them room was superior. It was clear that they thought they were better than either Dwarves or Elves. And while he overheard nothing about Hobbits, he couldn't fool himself about what their thoughts would be there.

Their advice was always surface advice, because they were keeping things from them. The visitors who came in didn't want to hurt the Hobbits, and wouldn't be a danger even without the Rangers there. And Bilbo had seen nothing to suggest that if the Rangers weren't there then war would fall on the Shire.

If he lived through this quest, he knew he had a lot of work to do to strip the veneer off the Rangers.


	261. Machine - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwalin likes machines more than humans.

When he was eighteen, Dwalin felt mor ecomfortable around machines than people. Machines had no expectations and asked no questions. People did both.

There were so many tests to take to get his CDL, but the other guys at work needed to take them too, and they all worked together. Once the written tests were passed, everything was good. Dwalin never had trouble learning, it was only the written words that stopped him.

The construction equipment was just there for him to use. It didn't wonder why a Durin was slumming in a construction company and not going to some fancy college. It didn't mince around in absurd mockery of wealthy professionals. It didn't make him prove his worth every day for the first three years he was employed by Dale.

Physical labor didn't demand to know why he was demeaning himself. It didn't threaten to disown him. It didn't sigh sadly every time he was there like he had kicked its favorite puppy.

Tools and gear didn't try to get him talking about sex and girlfriends. They didn't jeer at him when he didn't whistle at women walking down the street. They didn't sneer at him when he said that whistling at strangers was aggressive and offensive.

Dwalin had gone into a blue collar job straight out of high school when most of his family went to college for law or medicine. He was working a blue collar job coming from a wealthy background. His family didn't like his choice and his coworkers didn't trust him. Dwalin was starting to come to terms with being gay, although he wasn't ready to talk about it to anyone. Especially with what he heard people say.

Dwalin preferred machines to humans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dwalin graduated high school in 1988. Not much help for dyslexia at the time and so little fairness for homosexuality. Dwalin stays in the closet for quite a while, hooking up quietly and not having any kind of long term relationship. As time goes on, he comes out in the late 90s and starts bringing dates to family things. He doesn't have anything really serious until Nori, though.
> 
> He still hasn't told his family about the dyslexia.


	262. Coffee Break - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hobbits teach Dwarves about elevenses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting earlier than I've been because today we are heading home from vacation and I will be on a train from mid afternoon until tomorrow morning that doesn't have wifi. Once we reach Penn I should have some regular access. I will probably be able to check tumblr from my phone, but I don't think I'm up to writing on it.

Dwarves were a people with few settled homes. The great kingdoms had been destroyed, and what was left was mostly small and poor. Dwarves had become nomads, moving from settlement to settlement, working for Men and Elves (and sometimes Hobbits) to eke out what they could. They had no time for the many of the small pleasures Hobbits engaged in.

Hobbits were connoisseurs of the small pleasures in life, and took great pleasure in sharing them with the Dwarves who had started to share their lives. Elevenses was one of them.

The idea of taking a break practically in the middle of the day to sit and eat and gossip was a new one for Dwarves. Many of them barely took a break for luncheon, working through that time to maximize their working time and make as much money as they could. Dwarves ate thrice daily when they could, and even then had few chances for snacking.

Hobbits found that they loved the amazement on Dwarf faces when they brought tea trays and said it was time for a break. A half hour, of course, no more. But who didn't need time to sit with a cup of tea, some sandwiches and biscuits, and an ear to listen to your troubles?

Dwarves started out silently accepting the food and comfort, listening to their Hobbit friends prattle and not feeling like they could reciprocate. But as the years went on, they fully embraced the tradition of elevenses. They started to share their own drinks and treats. They opened up and talked about things that were important to them, things that were troubling them, things that were happening around them.

Because who didn't need a break to sit and eat and talk with friends?


	263. Painstaking - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dori takes care of everything.

It was years before Ori understood just how hard Dori worked - had always worked. Dori had known young that he wanted to be a lawyer. From very young he worked hard at school, getting the best grades in his classes from elementary school all through college. And at home he was a model child, never getting in trouble once he was old enough to understand rules.

And then their parents died and so did Dori's dream. He couldn't go to law school when he had his brothers to take care of. But he didn't show bitterness to them. He was up all hours of the night when Ori had night terrors. He brought Nori everywhere, got him medically tested as often as he could, tried and tried to keep him out of trouble.

Dori took on all of the roles his parents had left behind. He cooked - he _tried_ to cook, and he did get better over time. He cleaned, learning how to vacuum and do dishes, he did all the laundry, he took care of the yard and learned how to keep the house up. He made doctor appointments, parent teacher conferences, play dates.

Dori did everything, spending so much time on his brothers that it took years before Ori realized that Dori had never dated. Dori didn't complain about his position in the family. Dori wasn't bitter about having to abandon his dream of being a lawyer. Dori's dreams had changed over night from high power and money to the careful process of raising his brothers. Ori couldn't love him more for it.


	264. Good Riddance - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fundin has always been satisfied by the destruction of anything having to do with Orcs.

Good riddance, Fundin had thought at every battlefield he had been on before losing most of a leg. He felt no triumph in killing Orcs, just a calm sense that he was doing what was right.

Good riddance he thought when burning bodies that wouldn't even be good as carrion. When not even scavengers could eat you, you were truly of no value to the world.

Good riddance he thought razing settlements and destroying every trace of Orc that could be found. Truly, no good ever came of them. They were violent from the first - the way the young looked and acted spoke to that. And he felt no remorse even in destroying the young. There was no way to better Orcs. They were bad from first to last, and fire was the only way to cleanse them.

Ori came to them from Orcs. He came from violence and degradation, his parentage clear in his coloring, his ears and teeth, the corded muscle that made him stronger than his size. Ori came to them from the stock of those Fundin had been taught had no value of their own and none they could ever pass on. But Ori had more value than just that which came from his mother.

And Fundin could think good riddance about the Orc who had sired Ori. But the boy was proof that things of value could come even from violence. Even from Orcs.


	265. Indirect - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo knows that roundabout is the best method of fighting.

Roundabout was the best way when fighting. Bilbo had known that for years. His mother was excellent at redirection and turning conversations to her interests. It still left him amazed how many times he had seen matrons come to Bag End intending to lecture Belladonna Baggins on her housekeeping or mothering skills and leave feeling like they'd been paid the ultimate compliment by being allowed in her home. Or leaving with gossip about someone who had angered her.

The Dwarves didn't seem to understand that. They were direct and to the point, and everything Dwalin taught him was to deal with straight, up front battle. It made hm frown when he realized it. It was too direct. It would never stand up to a real fight.

One evening, Nori caught his frown and nodded outside the camp. Bilbo followed at a distance, looking around when he rounded a tree to see empty space.

When Nori landed on him from the first branch, Bilbo was elated. He was finally going to learn what he needed to know.


	266. Scars - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some scars are on the outside and some are not.

Ori knew that some people's scars were on the outside. He liked to draw them, although he was normally too polite to ask to. But sometimes he got the nerve up and asked, and sometimes the people would talk to him while he drew. He heard so many amazing, heart wrenching stories that way. The scars on a person's body told so much. The track marks and cuts on Nori's arms, the mass of scars on Bifur's face and head, the missing part of Dwalin's ear and the scar across his face that crossed his broken nose.

Others didn't show their scars so openly. There were times Ori liked to draw them more. They didn't talk as much, but the signs of wear on an older face like Gandalf, or even Mr. Balin said a lot about the lives they lived. And in poor little Frodo he could learn so much just from the look in his eyes. Bofur laughed constantly, but most of the time there was still a wild expression in his eyes from all he had gone through so young.

Even Dori. It had taken a long time for him to see the Dori's scars, the loss of his cherished childhood dreams.

Even Ori himself. He drew self portraits sometimes, looking in the mirror and trying to look at himself as he looked at strangers. And behind the look of concentration he wore when looking at himself in the mirror there were the ghosts of his parents and memories that were still far too bright of Nori being released from jail and not looking at him.


	267. Desolate - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin only went to see the mountain once.

Thorin went back to Erebor just once, ten years after Azanulbizar. Ten years after he had lost so much of what had been left to him - his grandfather and brother, his mother, his cousin Fundin all in battle, his father missing. Ten years since it was just him and Dís.

And he just _needed_ to see Erebor again. After everything they had been through, he needed to see that it really was there, that he hadn't made it up, that it was real. So he packed their bags, and he and Dís made their way north through Gondor and Rohan and the brown lands. He aimed too far east and they stayed a week in the Iron Hills with their cousins there before he could see that a pair of young pauper relatives had overstayed their welcome.

In his memory, the mountain was green. The city of Dale was so close they could have been said to be the same city and everything was growing and good. The roads were well tended, the fields full, the people well fed and well clothed. Color was everywhere and wealth beside it.

He saw the rims of Dale first, broken buildings looming over the landscape. And beyond it was nothing. The ground was gray as ashes for miles around, and the mountain - _his_ mountain - smoked like a volcano. The roads were crumbled to nothing, the orchards not even matchsticks. He couldn't tell where the fields had been.

He couldn't say how long he would have stayed there on his own, looking on the desolation of his home. Probably so long he would have become part of it. But there was Dís to think about. Shoulders hunched against north winds, he turned their steps to Laketown. They had spent too much time in travel already and would have to stay the season out in the shadow of the mountain.


	268. Seasons - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori and Dwalin's first year together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place throughout 2013.

They rang in the new year when they first met, and the first way Nori got to know Dwalin was in the winter. He got to know the beat up little car Dwalin drove everywhere in the cold, the thermal curtains that were almost always closed to hold in the heat in his little apartment. He got to know the sweaters Dwalin was given by his mother and brother, that he grumbled about but wore anyway. He got to know the feel of leather gloves on his cheeks, cold lips on his own. He sat with Dwalin in his own home or the little apartment, drinking coffee or cocoa or beer, watching the snowfall and being glad to be somewhere warm with someone warmer.

Spring came, and with it color. Dwalin threw open hs curtains, and most days saw his windows open as well. Nori got to see the color of the rooms in daylight, the way that Dwalin had arranged himself. He got to see the tiny potted plants that were being started and help transfer them to window planters at the proper time. The car was often left behind as the weather grew warmer, and they walked everywhere. Their hands clasped tightly between them as they walked, and Nori liked the callouses on Dwalin's hands.

It grew hotter as it turned to summer. Dwalin worked more, while Nori worked less. He snuck to work sites sometimes, wanting to see and understand what it was that Dwalin did. He saw buildings rise. He saw buildings fall. He saw buildings become what they should be - what they might have been when they were new. He saw Dwalin working hard, muscles corded, sweat sticking his shirt to him. Sometimes his mouth went dry as he watched and he wanted to leap the fence and take him there in front of all of those people.

It was late August when Dwalin asked him to move in. Autumn was spent learning this new dynamic. He had spent a lot of time in the little apartment, but it was different to live there. Some things happened fast - like rearranging the dining room (that could have been advertised as a small second bedroom) so that Nori's desk could fit at one end of it for his prep work and grading. Space was easily made for his clothes in the dresser and closet.

But it was new, living with someone who wasn't his brothers. Nori hadn't done that since he was nineteen, and then he had been hurting and trying to dull the pain with drugs. He didn't remember much of that. This was something new, and learning life together took most of the season. They had to figure out the frequency and level of intimacy they could engage in. They are most meals together, cooked together when they could. They had to share the bathroom. They slept together _every night_. They had different styles and different hobbies and they had to mesh those together.

By the time winter came again, they had built a life together. They walked together, enjoying the last of the walkable weather, looking at the bright leaves that were still clinging to the trees. They drank mulled cider and sat behind windows that had new curtains as the first snow fell. They walked hand in hand, glove in glove, through cold streets and watched the stars come out in clear winter nights.


	269. Spring - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> there is a lesson, even in a river.

The River Running started under the Lonely Mountain. The way it poured down near the great south gates, churning the waterwheels that powered many of the larger hammers and fires in the forges, was the first thing visitors to the mountain saw. By the time it reached the gates and spilled into its bed to flow south and east to meet the Redwater and flow into the Sea of Rhûn, the River Running was a fast, deep river already. It wasn't until it widened at the Long Lake that it mellowed into a meandering body of water that could be easily ridden and passed over.

It was more than a year before Thorin could take his family down into the depths of the mountain to see the small spring that became the greatest river in the region. He walked with one arm around Fíli, helping the youth navigate the passages that were still uneven and rough from over a century of neglect.

Bilbo heard the bubbling first and perked up despite how he was puffing along at Kíli's side. He fell to his knees at the side of the spring where the water broke free of its rocky womb to flow out toward the sky and sea. Kíli was similarly pleased, splashing his fingers through the cold water and laughing.

"I didn't know we had something like this here. Where does it go?"

Thorin smiled at him. "South. This is the River Running."

His smile didn't widen at his younger nephew's gaping shock, but it was a struggle. He lowered Fíli to sit with his brother and other uncle and the youth reached out, finding the water with little difficulty.

"It's so small."

"Everything is small when it starts," Thorin said, reaching out so that he was touching the water as well. "Love, crafting ability. Hatred, greed. It all starts small in your heart, like the river starts small in the heart of the mountain. By the time it leaves you and other see it, it has grown big and powerful."

Bilbo looked up at him and reached out. One of his arms slid around Thorin and he nestled close, offering comfort.

"Once the river has left the mountain," Thorin said, his nephews both looking at him with their hands still in the water, "it can never return. Once you have acted on your feelings, once they have grown so large they cannot stay inside you, you cannot take your actions back."

They looked troubled, so he pulled them into his arms and pointed out the signs of picks on the walls. "So we nurture when things are small and new. We help them find the safe ways to grow bigger, help them find the safe paths out."

He bent and kissed golden hair and brown. "We nurture things that are small so that we may have joy of them when they are large."


	270. Exception - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dís loves.

Dwarves were famed to only love once, and Dís... Dís took exception to the very idea of it.

Certainly, she had only had one true passion in her life. She had wanted to be with Dwalin from childhood.how she felt with him was different than anything else, it was passion that sometimes scorched in its intensity, a kind of love that kept a fire burning in her heart and kept her warm on the coldest of night. It was love of and from Dwalin that had supported her through the first dark days of losing her baby.

But he was far from the only love in her life. She had loved Lofar, in a way. It was a different kind of love than what she felt for Dwalin and what the stories said love and marriage should be. She was so much younger than he was - practically a child bride, not much more than 50 when he was already over 80. But he was kind and he was good and she had grown to love him. It was a soft love, gentle as a stirring breeze. A comfortable love. They hadn't fought, hadn't really spoken of the most important things. But she could see much of it in how he acted and hadn't felt the need. There was supposed to have been time. She would not have minded spending her life with Lofar, though it would have meant she never would have had Dwalin.

Dís felt that those who said Dwarves loved only once didn't truly understand love. She loved Fíli deeply. He was the last piece of his father on the earth, and he had been in constant danger growing up. She loves him with the ferocity of a mother bear and would have willingly torn someone to pieces for touching him. 

She had something of the same fierceness of devotion to Kíli, though he had grown up away from her. She had never had one day when she didn't think of him, imagine him growing from an infant to a smiling toddler, a wide eyed child, an adolescent all knees and elbows, a finely formed youth. She imagined what his voice would sound like, how he would laugh. She imagined him kind and smart and capable. She imagined only good things for him, thinking of him every day. And she recognized him instantly when she saw him again, though she hadn't seen him since the hour of his birth.

Of course there was her brother. Dís thought that if Thorin asked it, she would give up Dwalin. She knew Dwalin would have given up her if Thorin asked. She loved him more fiercely than she loved her sons, though that hardly seemed possible. Thorin was her brother, and had half raised her after the loss of Erebor. When he had requested, she had married. When he was in danger, she had run. When he asked her to remain hidden and safe, she had followed his request to the best of her ability. Dís loved her brother with every fiber of her being.

Dís did not feel that she was an exception to the norm of Dwarvish feelings. Love had so many layers and gradients that it would be impossible to only love once. Dís loved many and had loved in many different ways, and she expected she would love many more as the rebuilt in Erebor.


	271. Celebration - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori and Dwalin have an anniversary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here are previous pieces:  
> [Fíli goes to the prom](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1335373/chapters/2902849)  
> [Thorin fights for custody of his nephews](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3149962)  
> [Thorin Oakenshield is free](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3449702)  
> [Three times people were done](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3575459)  
> [Bofur gets beat up again](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1470961/chapters/3175739)  
> [Thrailís is assaulted by friends of his brother](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3761203)  
> [Kíli meets a new girl in school](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/4684665)  
> [Kíli looks up to his uncle](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2359988/chapters/5326133)  
> [Nori proactively protects Asian women](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/6476804)

"What's this for?" Nori asked, opening the box to reveal a beautifully made leather jacket. She pulled it on immediately. It was smooth and soft, thick and warm. She practically purred as she preened in it.

Dwalin shrugged, her smile crooked. "Third year's leather."

Nori froze, looking over at the woman who stood head and shoulders taller than her. "Third...?"

Dwalin's dark eyes shone. "It's been three years since you moved in with me."

Nori felt herself blushing at the idea that they'd been together three years and at the obvious happiness in her girlfriend's voice. "What's leather have to do with it?" she asked to mask her own embarrassed pleasure.

"Third year's the leather anniversary. Twenty-five and fifty aren't the only ones that have special gifts. Didn't you notice with the sundress I got you last year? It was 100% cotton."

"I didn't realize we had an anniversary," Nori said. "I would have gotten you something." She smiled wickedly. "It's not too late. Leather, you say?"

Dwalin's skin was too dark to blush, but after three years living together, Noriknew the signs. And that made her feel better. She wasn't the only one caught off guard and embarrassed. She stepped forward, arms straining around the solid muscle bulk of her girlfriend. The rich, brown leather of her new jacket nearly matched Dwalin.

Dwalin's arms closed easily around her, and while Nori knew she was petite no one had ever made her feel small in quite the way that Dwalin did. Dwalin, who was taller than more than half of the men she knew. Dwalin, who could bench over 300 pounds. Dwalin, who had dark, swirling tattoos all down her arms and over her shoulders. Dwalin, who had half built her own motorcycle and could hold her own in bar fights.

Dwalin, who knew the correct gifts to give on anniversaries. Dwalin, who bought pretty things for Nori because she saw them and thought of her. Dwalin, who would eat cookies and pudding at every meal if Nori would let her. Dwalin, who was the gentlest with a hair brush of anyone Nori had ever known.

Nori's eyes sparkled. "I'll have you in leather before an hour is out," she purred, reveling in the hitch in Dwalin's breath and the way the arms around her tightened. Oh yes, if they had an anniversary it would be celebrated _properly_.


	272. Space - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ori has never had space to himself.

In the slave cavern in Gundabad, they had all lived on top of each other. They didn't have enough to do more than give each other space. They had no homes, just the corners they could fight for and claim as their own. There was little privacy - everyone knew everyone else's business. Even without acknowledging names, it was never a question of who was family to whom, who was lovers with whom.

In Erebor there was room. Ori for the first time found space where no one looked at him. It was the first time he had a thought that he could have things that were his, things that others might never see.

He was very bad at it at first. Dori always knew when he was trying to hide something, and Nori nearly always teased it out of him. But they started to understand as well. They had always known how to be secret in Gundabad, but now they could truly be private. They could have things only for them.

Ori didn't know everything Nori did, although his brother liked to talk about his job in the hospital. He didn't always know what Dori was up to, and his oldest brother was much better at keeping secrets, so there were times Ori didn't even realize.

And they started to respect his own privacy. He didn't always want to show off drawings or writing, and they let him keep things to himself. And he guarded the little closet where he worked jealously. It was his - one of many things that were truly his. And whenever he wanted to, he could close himself in his own little space and have privacy.


	273. Alone - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dwalin can't always be home.

When Dwalin was away and Nori had to sleep alone, he dreamed of Gundabad. Despite the constant presence of others, he had never felt like he had connections. Most of the time he couldn't be with his brothers, and there was no one he could get close to other than them. The nearest were some of the others at work. His lovers had been as distant as he could make them - there for their pleasure and his safety and that was it.

The first time Dwalin couldn't be home over night, Nori went to bed like usual. In the middle of the night he bolted out of sleep, clawing at Dwalin's side of the bed. He was sweating and felt he couldn't breathe. He spent the rest of the night curled around Dwalin's pillow, panting and trying to feel safe enough to sleep again. When morning came, he couldn't make himself go out to breakfast and work. He knew that it was expected - knew what happened to slaves who didn't work! - but he couldn't do it.

Ori came to fetch him, and then there were two of them hidden in his room, because Ori wouldn't leave him like that. The youth curled up next to him, and Nori clung with shaking fingers and sobbed against his brother's hair.

Ori wasn't the last, and the whole family had congregated in Nori and Dwalin's room before Dwalin got home and pulled his intended into his arms. He wanted to explain, but he couldn't find the words to. Dwalin held him anyway, asking questions but missing the mark, finally falling silent but holding tighter for all that.

The next time he knew Dwalin wouldn't be home, Nori crept into bed with his brothers, pressing his back to the wall. He held Ori in his arms and felt Dori on the other side. The blankets were warm and the bed was soft. With his brothers there, he didn't dream of Gundabad. He wasn't alone.


	274. Turning Point - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin isn't willing to put up with it anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reference to and plotting of rape. Anti-Dwarf racism.

It was the word razor that made Thorin's ears prick to listen to the conversation three Men were having further down the bar.

"Not like he has much beard to start with. Not like some of them." The one speaking nudged the one on the right. "They say the women have beards too. Who knows what we'll find when we get the clothes off him."

Thorin could hear the blood pounding in his ears and couldn't hear the conversation anymore. He knew what they were planning - what else could it be? And there weren't so many Dwarves in this town that there could be any question of who they were talking about.

He left quietly and quickly, going to the tiny room he was renting with his nephews. They never truly unpacked when they were traveling, so it was the work of barely a moment to throw their packs in the back of the truck. The money they had made was already distributed among the bags and their pockets. And if they left unfinished work, it just meant it would be a longer time before they returned to this town.

It wasn't more than half an hour after he left the bar that they were out of town, Kíli sitting in the cab with him while Fíli rode in the back. He had offered no explanations and they had asked no questions, obeying his haste instantly and silently. He knew they had to be bursting with curiosity, but there was nothing he was willing to tell them about why they were leaving so suddenly. Once he had delayed almost too long, and they knew nothing of that time either.

He wouldn't have been able to talk to them anyway. The blood was still pounding in his ears and he would have spoken too loudly. They had no recourse but leaving. He couldn't go to any authority. He couldn't defend himself. Self defense was not a plea a Dwarf could make against a Man.

So they ran in the night like scared hares. Because there was no way for a Dwarf to have justice in the world of Men. And though he had lived with it all his life, it hurt more when it touched his nephews.

When Glóin told him, almost two months later, that there had been ravens seen flying east and Óin said it was time to try for Erebor, Thorin jumped at the hope, thin thread though it was.


	275. Dramatic - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ori is taken to a play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder of ages:  
> Ori is 50 (15-16ish)  
> Fíli is 42 (14ish)  
> Kíli is 37 (13ish)

Fíli was the one who held Ori's hand as they walked through the streets. Kíli bounced around the other two, never still enough to just walk with them. He babbled to them about the play they were going to see, recounting the story of it disjointedly but enthusiastically.

Ori had never gone to theater. There had been nothing like that in Gundabad, and it wasn't something that he would venture to on his own. But there was a group performing Kíli's favorite story, and he had insisted that Ori should come along with him and his brother and cousins.

Fíli was the one who stayed at Ori's side while Kíli danced from one foot to the other and dashed ahead as soon as he saw their cousins. Ori had never met the other young Dwarves. Though he was older than they were - the oldest of the group, really - he hung his head to avoid the stares. Kíli kicked both of them to make them stop, then hung on Ori while his brother paid for their tickets and was told their seats.

Ori was flanked by his friends when they sat, Kíli bouncing with impatient excitement and Fíli glancing periodically at his brother and smiling. Ori privately wondered how Kíli was going to sit still through the play, but he would never say it.

He didn't know what he expected a play to be, but what he got was light and color, music and dancing. The way they told the story, played their parts, acted out the emotions, Ori was enthralled by everything. It was like the stories he read in books, but so much more. He could understand Kíli's excitement more and more as it went on, and when he felt the younger boy's hand in his own during the climactic battle, he gripped back hard. He knew how the story ended - Kíli had told him the whole thing on the way over - but watching it happen made him forget that it would all be well in the end.

He hung back after. There were so many people, and there were plenty of stares at his pallor. He let Kíli go rushing away to speak to the actors, certain of his welcome as a young prince of the realm. Fíli stayed with him, once again holding his hand to ground him after the performance and the looks from others.


	276. Whistle - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori had a friend once.

There was a little bird that came into the factory because of the warmth. Nori heard her whistling one day near his work station. He gave her crumbs from his lunch and made sure he was at that station after that.

The little bird had no fear of him. She hopped up onto his knee or his shoulder fearlessly and looked at what he was doing. She preened his hair, stealing strands of it sometimes because of the color. She sang for him, and it made him feel like he could keep working even on the worst days.

He spoke to her, quietly so others couldn't hear over the noise of the factory. He told her about anything he thought of and she listened like she understood. She probably stayed because he continued to feed her, but he liked feeling like he had a friend.

One day, in a corner of the factory near his station, there was a woman. She was large - almost as large as the Masters - and she called to him with a soft whistle. He felt a shiver of fear at the sound of it, and her next words confirmed that the little bird he'd befriended was really a Shape-Changer.

There was going to be an escape that night, she told him. She had been doing her part searching for the way out and tonight they were finally going to go. She promised they would come back to try and free the Dwarves as well. She wouldn't forget about him.

He watched her fly away, the little bird pausing at the window to look back and chirp at him. He was uneasy with his knowledge and made sure that he stayed in a corner and unseen as much as he could.

The next day some of the Shape-Changers were gone and most of the rest were dead. He never saw the little bird again.


	277. Needful Things - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is more show to being the king than Thorin expected.

Thorin was constantly surprised by how many things were "necessary" for the King under the Mountain when there was a kingdom under the mountain for him to rule. There were dinners and galas. He had to be perfectly groomed at all times. He was constantly followed by advisers and courtiers, the latter trying to gain his favor and the former trying to keep the latter appeased.

It hadn't been like that in exile. No one had time for a king without a kingdom. All he needed in those long years were clothes to keep him warm, money enough for food, and his tools to keep busy.

He still had the tools, somewhere in the palace's private forge. But he had no time to use them, now that he was able to make things for joy and not for the pennies he could eke out of men. But of course that wouldn't do for the _King under the Mountain_. To truly be the king he had tried to be for so long, he needed so many things he would never have had access to when he was also a wandering smith.

And he did the things that were needful. He wore the robes and crown. He sat and made judgements. He put up with the advisers, and even the courtiers.

And in the evenings, he retired to his own rooms where none of that was necessary. Where there were the people who truly saw Thorin. And they were the things he needed the most.


	278. Flying - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Balin waits for a flight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here are previous pieces:  
> [Fíli goes to the prom](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1335373/chapters/2902849)  
> [Thorin fights for custody of his nephews](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3149962)  
> [Thorin Oakenshield is free](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3449702)  
> [Three times people were done](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3575459)  
> [Bofur gets beat up again](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1470961/chapters/3175739)  
> [Thrailís is assaulted by friends of his brother](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3761203)  
> [Kíli meets a new girl in school](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/4684665)  
> [Kíli looks up to his uncle](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2359988/chapters/5326133)  
> [Nori proactively protects Asian women](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/6476804)  
> [Nori and Dwalin have an anniversary](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/6900539)

"M. X?" The ticket agent was making a valiant effort to maintain professional pleasantness, but was fighting a losing battle to suspicion over differences. "Is that French?"

Balin could almost read the facial expression that said they didn't look French. Because of course, being black meant not European. Not that Balin was European, but they could have been.

"It's pronounced 'mix,'" they said, not addressing any other part of the question.

The agent still looked uneasy, looking Balin over, and they were sure they'd be pulled out for a "random search" when going through security,

"Have a good flight.... Sir."

Balin did their best not to frown. They couldn't teach everyone, even when flying out to a university to speak on gender topics. There was only so much time in the day, and so many people weren't willing to listen.

Sure enough, they were pulled out by TSA agents. But it was far from a surprise, and they had made sure to pack simply on the assumption that this would happen. They had plenty of time to make their flight after the delay. And more cause to be glad they only had a carry on.

Balin settled into one of the seats by their gate, waiting for the boarding announcement. They pulled out their laptop, checking notes for the guest lecture they were giving. They checked their email, responding to notes from both Dwalin and Nori wishing them luck and promising to watch their cat. It wasn't much of a question - the pair always did that and Balin barely had to ask anymore - but it was good to know. Nori's included a picture of her holding the animal in question as extra assurance.

Balin read the news, adding notes to their notes and tweaking the presentation until the announcement came and they put everything away and stood to board the plane.


	279. Dust - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo is an excellent housekeeper.

Smials had to be kept ready for visitors at all times. While Men and Elves were far larger than was necessary, they still sometimes liked to come in and see what a proper home looked like. So everything always had to be tidy and clean.

From the time he was old enough to hold a duster, Bilbo had been included in the housework. He put away his toys when he was done playing. He swept and dusted. He washed dishes. He learned how to clean furniture and appliances so they gleamed. He learned how to scrub laundry and keep stains from permanently damaging clothes. He learned how to assess food stock and get rid of anything that had gone bad (although he always thought that the best way to deal with that was to eat everything before it went bad).

After his parents both died, care of the smial was all his. Bilbo spent many days tending to housework and not leaving his door. It was a way to get time to mourn - visitors were less likely to approach a home that was all closed up, but Men and Elves didn't always understand the grief of losing loved ones. He would have had to paste a smile on his face and be pleasant when all he wanted to do was weep.

When he was done, he was able to master himself well enough to be seen. Bag End gleamed, everything in place and not a speck of dust to be seen.


	280. Plugged - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was a hole...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last of this round of shorts. I am going to try and work on other things for a while before starting again. I've got a bit of impetus on pieces of the Modern AU, and some old prompts for a variety of other things. There's the gender shorts I've been doing, and I have a number of those at least partially planned out. And of course I am always open to prompts from readers.

The hole was plugged up. It had been a small hole, chipped away by someone patient at some point. Someone who had probably been killed, because the hole wasn't much use to anyone.

It was a small hole. Perhaps large enough for a small Dwarf to weasel through. There were some nights Nori just sat and stared at it, trying to figure out how he could contort himself to be small enough to fit. It probably wouldn't be hard. He was small.

When he was above in the city, he sometimes tried to figure out where the other side of the hole was, but he could never find it. And not knowing where he would come out made it dangerous.

That wasn't the only bad part of the plan, of course. There wasn't really a plan, and that was the worst of it. But the hole was too small to fit Dori, and that would never do. Nori couldn't leave his brother. Couldn't, wouldn't, could barely even think of it. And there was no way to widen the hole without being caught.

Being caught was the real worst of it. He didn't know where he would end up, and had no idea where to go from there - all the life he remembered was the slave cavern under Gundabad. He would be caught in an instant. And what happened to those who tried to run and were caught didn't bear thinking of.

He sat some nights and just stared at the darkness that seemed darker than that around it. He sat and imagined being free, being Outside. He sat and tried to thnk of a plan.

By the time Ori came to them, the hole was plugged. It was the only thing Nori could do.


	281. Present - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori brings home a present.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a reopening of the prompts, but this goes with a verse I've written in already, so it doesn't really go in my "Outside Prompts" dump.
> 
> Here are previous pieces:  
> [Fíli goes to the prom](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1335373/chapters/2902849)  
> [Thorin fights for custody of his nephews](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3149962)  
> [Thorin Oakenshield is free](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3449702)  
> [Three times people were done](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3575459)  
> [Bofur gets beat up again](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1470961/chapters/3175739)  
> [Thrailís is assaulted by friends of his brother](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3761203)  
> [Kíli meets a new girl in school](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/4684665)  
> [Kíli looks up to his uncle](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2359988/chapters/5326133)  
> [Nori proactively protects Asian women](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/6476804)  
> [Nori and Dwalin have an anniversary](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/6900539)  
> [Balin waits for a flight](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/6988208)

Dwalin looked into her girlfriend's manic smile and started to worry.

"I got you a present," Nori said, tipping her head back but not going up on her toes to kiss.

"A present?" Dwalin asked, only a little nervously. There was no limit to what it might have been.

There was a tiny meow, and Nori pulled a tiny kitten, all ears and huge blue eyes, out of her jacket. "She was being bullied, poor thing. Grown men throwing empty bottles at her. I couldn't let them get away with that, could I? That's cruelty to animals, and you can go to jail for that, can't you?"

Dwalin didn't ask what Nori had done to the men. She was aware of what could happen if you underestimated her tiny girlfriend. "So you thought it was a good idea to bring it home?"

"I've seen you play with Balin's," Nori answered, and this time she did angle for a kiss. Dwalin had to lean down no matter how far up on her toes Nori went, but she never minded it.

"They're a lot of money," she mused, but it wasn't a negation. They had the money, two paychecks pooled together in a way that meant that they actually had money in the bank - together, after three years living together and another five months dating.

"She doesn't have anyone else. Worse than me." And now the dark eyes were widened to match the tiny cuteness of the kitten in her hands.

Dwalin had a feeling she would never win again.


	282. Take Care of Yourself - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori was away for a school trip....

Dwalin woke up and wasn't at home. The ceiling wasn't cracked in the right places and there was a pinch in his arm that he wanted to scratch at, but he couldn't get the energy to move either arm.

He glanced to the side and managed to tip his head enough to see the IV attached to him. Hospital, then. But why?

"You fainted... Straight into my arms." He looked the other way and saw Nori sitting beside the bed, cheeks streaked with tear tracks. He smiled, but it looked sickly. "You know, if you wanted my attention you didn't have to go to such extremes."

"Nori," he said, but his throat was so dry that hardly a sound came out.

"You know," Nori continued, "I've been away on that trip for three days and so caught up with planning and coordinating everything more than a week before that. When the doctor asked, I honestly couldn't tell him when the last time you ate was."

Dwalin licked his lips and swallowed what little spit he could make to try and wet his mouth and throat enough to speak. "Nori," he repeated, slightly louder.

"So I called Bard. And _he_ said that the project you're on has been running late because things keep going wrong, so you're all working through lunch. And you've been the first one in and the last to leave for _weeks_. And that means you haven't really been sleeping either."

"Nori," Dwalin tried one more time, because he heard the cracks in his boyfriend's voice. 

"You lived on your own for years. I thought you might even enjoy the quiet. But if you're going to _starve_ yourself while doing _heavy labor_ I might have to hire a babysitter next time. I swear--!" 

But then he was curled against the edge of the bed and crying, and all Dwalin could do was hold his hand and promise on whispered breath to be more careful in the future. 


	283. Baby - the Space One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dori and Bifur's relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm never sure, when a prompt says "kids," if that's supposed to mean that they _have_ kids or they _are_ kids....

Ori was quite young when Dori got the job at the hospital. It was a maintenance job - cleaning, mostly, and some repairs when needed - but it paid well enough that she could leave all three of her other jobs. Finally, after more than twenty five years, she didn't _need_ the money Nori brought in from pickpocketing and con jobs. Finally, she had the _time_ to take care of her baby brother as she wanted to.

And it was that money, set aside as well as it could be, that saw to Ori's schooling. It was that money that allowed Dori to finally continue her own schooling.

And the hospital was where she met Bifur. She was on break and having her lunch when the older woman struck up conversation. It was an awkward conversation, because head wounds had left Bifur's speech garbled and completely Khuzdul, but Dori tried hard to understand and Bifur never seemed to lose her patience.

Dori wasn't sure what had made her the lucky receiver of Bifur's interest. The woman was at least thirty years her senior and gorgeous, white hair sprouting from the spots she'd been wounded and blending with her scars to make her very distinguished.

Bifur had been honorably discharged when she had been hurt in a scuffle in contested space. She had come home with her pension to help out cousins recently left alone. They were Nori's age, and Dori was sure they were glad of her.

Before being called in for her appointment, Bifur pressed her number into Dori's hand. Dori blushed and immediately entered it into her phone. The radiant smile from behind the beard so prematurely streaked with white made her feel lighter for the rest of the day.

Dori was wary of bringing anyone home, but it didn't take Nori long to realize something was going on, and hardly longer to understand what it was. He insisted on being introduced, and it wasn't long before he and the cousins were the best of friends. They were all gentle and patient with Ori, and a ball of anxiety Dori hadn't realized was there uncurled.

Dori didn't want to admit that Nori's opinion would have made her break up with Bifur, but it would have. Her first responsibility was to her brothers, and her own heart had to come second - even if she didn't think she'd ever have another chance like this one.

It was years later - years and years, with everyone grown or nearly so - and they would have sworn Bifur was past bearing. But holding her own child - a creature every bit as small as she remembered Ori being, with a crest of dark hair and a scrunched up face, bawling every bit as loud as Nori had when she was young - Dori couldn't find it in her to be sorry they hadn't been careful enough.


	284. The Plan - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> aragorn has a plan.

"Legolas!"

Only one person ever said his name that way, and sure enough when Legolas turned around it was to meet Aragorn's shit eating grin. This was going to be bad.

Legolas and Aragorn knew each other well. Their fathers had been friends in college, and Legolas was sometimes left with the Edains when he was young. Aragorn was a good friend, although long distance for most of their lives. But he had come east to go to the same college his father had, and they had gotten to know each other even better. Aragorn, even more than Kíli, was someone Legolas could talk science with. While Aragorn preferred the life and ecological sciences, they had always managed to find overlap.

So Legolas recognized the look on Aragorn's face as the one that meant he had come up with a particularly bad idea. But he couldn't stop himself from asking. "What is it this time?"

"We should make rockets powered by biodiesel!" Legolas couldn't find the words to express how bad an idea that was, and Aragorn took the silence as reason to keep talking. "We're going into space, right? Nothing is going to stop people from going into space. But just think of all the pollution that comes from rockets! If we're going to go into space responsibly and take care of our planet too, we need to have better for,s of fuel, and maybe biodegradable materials to make the rockets out of. That way, when sections separate and drop back to earth we can just leave them. But biodiesel is a way to start!"

"So what are you suggesting?" Legolas asked. "That we just build model rockets and try setting them off with biodiesel until it works?"

Aragorn beamed at him. "You in?"

Legolas stared. "You don't know anything about the composition of rocket fuel. It's not like cars at all. You can't just make a substitution and assume it will work just as well! You're going to blow up who knows what, but almost certainly yourself!"

"You in?" Aragorn asked again, still smiling.

"This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you've ever had!"

"You in?" The way Aragorn's eyes sparkled ought to be criminal.

"Of course I'm in."


	285. Ered Luin - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nwalin Week (Take 2) Day 1. Prompt: Ered Luin

Files were all digital, so deciding not to make trouble in Ered Luin was something of a hollow gesture. It did protect him, because Ered Luin always fiercely defended its autonomy and wouldn't arrest him for things done elsewhere, but they knew, and more than just refraining from some of his coarser deeds, Nori had to be on his best behavior.

His best behavior couldn't involve screwing the royal family. The line of Durin had so much attention on it that everyone around Ered Luin would know his business before a day had passed, and then he would never have the silence and solitude he needed.

So in Ered Luin he was on his best behavior. In Ered Luin he went to the bars and clubs and laughed about how much experience he had with exotic people in far away places and how if someone was going on vacation he'd give them the phone numbers they wanted. And then no one noticed how he never went home with anyone.

Because when he was away, when he and Dwalin were anonymous Dwarves among Men, that was the only time he could indulge in what he really wanted.


	286. Ghost Stories - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nwalin Week (Take 2) Day 2. Prompt: Ghost Stories.

It was the power outage that did it. That was Dwalin's story, and he was sticking to it. Not that he screamed "like a girl," no matter what Nori said. Perhaps he had yelped, and even that was pushing it. But it was certainly due to the suddenness of the power outage.

Nori had taken some of his students on a "haunted town" tour to celebrate the end of the school year. He'd had a lot of fun on it, and so had the teenagers, which was the point. He had also come home with ghost stories and delighted in telling them to Dwalin.

He had especially delighted in it when he realized Dwalin didn't like ghost stories. Thorin had always teased him for not liking horror. But it wasn't fear - Dwalin feared few things. He didn't like the insistence that the horror genre had that everything was malevolent and just looking for a way to kill you. He didn't like ghost stories and their focus on murder. They focused on the worst people could do to each other, and Dwalin hated that.

But Nori liked the ghost stories, and enjoyed telling them so much. Dwalin hadn't the heart to stop him. Not when their evening plans to go out had been ruined by the wind. They had pulled in the window boxes to protect the plants and made sure that all the windows and doors were latched shut, because the wind was likely to knock everything down. So they made themselves dinner and sat in the dining room eating it.

Dwalin had asked about the trip, and that was what had started it. Nori _loved_ ghost stories, and he had learned so many about their home and he was so happy to share them. Dwalin indulged him, shivering and gasping at the right places.

And then - during a particularly gruesome description of what had been found of the victims of a ghost attack - the power flickered and it was suddenly black.


	287. Animals - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nwalin Week (Take 2) Day 4. Prompt: Animals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here are previous pieces:  
> [Fíli goes to the prom](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1335373/chapters/2902849)  
> [Thorin fights for custody of his nephews](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3149962)  
> [Thorin Oakenshield is free](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3449702)  
> [Three times people were done](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3575459)  
> [Bofur gets beat up again](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1470961/chapters/3175739)  
> [Thrailís is assaulted by friends of his brother](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3761203)  
> [Kíli meets a new girl in school](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/4684665)  
> [Kíli looks up to his uncle](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2359988/chapters/5326133)  
> [Nori proactively protects Asian women](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/6476804)  
> [Nori and Dwalin have an anniversary](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/6900539)  
> [Balin waits for a flight](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/6988208)  
> [Nori brings home a kitten](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/8064384)

Much of Dwalin's safety relied on the fact that she was over six feet tall and full of muscle. Dark skin, a resting scowl, and a bald head meant that she was careful of the police as she was careful of little else. But other people gave her a wide berth and she could get most things she wanted with little more than a look and a meaningful flex of her large hands.

It only worked with humans, though. Balin's long haired ginger tabby thought she was the best thing ever and would follow her around meowing for attention. Whenever they were watching the cat, Nori laughed at the way she doted on it. If she was sitting, there would be a cat in her lap, purring like a motor as she petted it.

(Nori always made crass jokes about what Dwalin could be doing if she wanted to pet pussy. But that was Nori's job, after all. Her self proclaimed duty to embarrass Dwalin as much as possible.)

Nori was fond of Astaire (and that was Balin's sense of humor all over - the cat was a _ginger_ and Ginger Rogers' partner was Fred _Astaire_ ), but it was clear who the cat's favorite was. Still, all joking aside, evenings spent cuddling the cat and her girlfriend at once while they laughed together were among her favorites.

All of this was in her head when she tucked the tiny, dark kitten into her coat to keep her warm. And of course, the kitten took to Dwalin instantly. Baby purrs filled their apartment as she lay on the floor to have her belly rubbed. Tiny, high-pitched mews mingled with human laughter as they played with her.

And Nori thought there wasn't much that was more beautiful than the lazily fond smile on Dwalin's face when they woke to find the kitten curled up between them on their pillows.


	288. Unexpected Hobbies - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nwalin Week (Take 2) Day 5. Prompt: Unexpected Hobbies

Dwalin Durin had played football most of his life and had the body to back it up. He was broad shouldered and muscular, tall and imposing. Working in construction hadn't hurt him at all. He was all strength. All body and no brain, some people sneered, seeing a man from a family of doctors and lawyers who had gone straight to work from high school and never continued his education.

Most of the time he didn't care. He had family who loved him and had learned not to ask questions he wouldn't answer, he had friends who supported him, and he had Nori. Nori was new, but wonderful, and he knew that Nori appreciated both the strong body and the mind that was behind it.

But even Nori looked surprised to come in and find yogurt cups in all the windows. Dwalin's explanation that you couldn't just start seeds in the window beds made him blink twice and then go and examine the makeshift pots. He demanded to know what was in them.

Dwalin leaned close, one arm around the smaller man. He lightly stroked the plastic cups as answered. Mint, because he liked the smell. Oregano and basil because they were better fresh. Tomatoes, although those wouldn't go into the window boxes - they weren't deep enough to actually support the fruit. Flowers, because they were colorful and smelled nice, and they were good for bees.

He was aware that Nori was looking at him and not the plant starters, the smaller man's face filling with wonder and delight. He wasn't sure what he expected. The idea of him liking to garden had made people laugh in his face plenty of times before, sometimes disappointed a potential boyfriend into leaving.

Nori reached up between them to take Dwalin's face in his hands and kiss him long and gentle and thorough. "You are a wonder," he said softly, eyes dancing. "And you're all mine."


	289. With Family - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nwalin Week (Take 2) Day 6. Prompt: With Family.
> 
> Warning for mention of misgendering and people not listening to a teenager about herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here are previous pieces:  
> [Fíli goes to the prom](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1335373/chapters/2902849)  
> [Thorin fights for custody of his nephews](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3149962)  
> [Thorin Oakenshield is free](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3449702)  
> [Three times people were done](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3575459)  
> [Bofur gets beat up again](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1470961/chapters/3175739)  
> [Thrailís is assaulted by friends of his brother](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3761203)  
> [Kíli meets a new girl in school](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/4684665)  
> [Kíli looks up to his uncle](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2359988/chapters/5326133)  
> [Nori proactively protects Asian women](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/6476804)  
> [Nori and Dwalin have an anniversary](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/6900539)  
> [Balin waits for a flight](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/6988208)  
> [Nori brings home a kitten](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/8064384)  
> [Cats like Dwalin](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/8832631)

Nori had not grown up liking rain. When she was young and it was just a mother and two young children there had been nothing to spare. They lived in bad areas where people sneered at her for being a bastard, sneered at Dori for being a bastard, sneered at their mother for having two children with two different men and not even one marriage to show for it. Nori couldn't recall a single apartment she'd lived in growing up that didn't drip in the rain. It was a game, they'd said when she was very young, to find the drips and put bowls under them, to move her things so they didn't get too wet. It was a game she was tired of long before she understood why they lived in places like that.

As an adult, Nori found that she liked the rain. She and Dwalin had a snug little apartment - still not in a great area, but better than where she'd grown up. They lived in an area that didn't look at them cross eyed for being two women together, and never tried to explain it away (as her mother still did) as being "good friends" or just a phase. And on rainy nights, Nori could justify making a pan of cocoa and snuggling up to Dwalin on the couch while they watched movies or read books or just whispered about their hopes and plans.

Nori was looking forward to it. An evening cuddled with Dwalin doing nothing but drinking cocoa and being together was not something that happened often, nor was it something to waste. There would be no movies tonight, and probably not much reading either. The thunderstorm outside promised power outages, and they would get ahead of it by sitting together by candlelight and doing nothing much.

She wasn't sure when the knocking started over the pounding of the rain, and at first she was inclined to ignore it. She had some serious cuddling to get started on, and she would be damned if the door interrupted it. But Dwalin had also heard, and she showed every sign of getting up to answer it. And as Nori thought about it she realized that anyone out in this weather needed to be brought inside.

It was Ori, and Nori gasped and reached out to pull her inside before she even considered that Ori didn't like to be touched. The teenager was soaked to the skin, sneakers squelching on the floor and creating a puddle around her as she shivered in the entry.

"Mom won't let me wear the girl's uniform to school and I can't wear the boy's one anymore I just _can't_."

Nori shared a look with Dwalin. They'd talked it over with Dori months ago, and all three of them had agreed that it was only a matter of time. Dori would be the better long term provider, but they knew Ori would show up at Nori's door first. Nori would call Dori in the morning and get everything worked out, but it was too wet out for anyone to be outdoors.

"You go get out of those wet clothes and dry off," Nori said, keeping her voice practical because she knew it would be more comforting to her sister than cooing over her the way she would have liked. After seeing the teen into the bathroom and Dwalin going for the mop, Nori went into the bedroom to look for clothes that Ori could change into.

That was the problem, of course. Nori was just under five feet and built small and delicate. Dwalin was at least six feet with amazing curves and muscles. Ori was five seven and rangy as a colt, still growing into herself. Her father was tall and skinny and it seemed Ori would be that way too. But she wouldn't fit into anything of Nori's, and the pretty sundress of Dwalin's that Nori really wanted to bring out for her would hang.

It was late anyway. She pulled out one of the ruffled night shirts she had bought Dwalin when she realized her girlfriend liked pretty things but was self conscious about getting them herself. She passed it through the bathroom door and went to wait in the living room for her. She curled at Dwalin's side and they talked softly about keeping Ori for the night before getting Dori involved, and what they could do for Ori going forward.

Ori stood awkwardly in the doorway, worrying the hem of the night shirt. It was a new situation for all of them, and Ori didn't do well with new situations. Dwalin smiled and held one arm open in a silent offer. Nori was surprised at just how quickly Ori was on the couch and under the strong arm, her long hair loose around her. Dwalin pointed out the extra mug of cocoa and squeezed both sisters lightly, content to sit in silence.

Nori wasn't, but she knew Ori would never say anything if she started to talk now, so she busied herself with her own mug and struggled for the quiet calm that Dwalin always put forth so effortlessly. She snuggled into Dwalin's side and watched as Ori slowly relaxed into the accepting silence.

"I can't anymore," she said after a time. "I can't be boy-Ori, not even as a game. Not even until I graduate. And no one else listens and they all just say that I don't know how to socialize right so how can I know anything about myself. And I _do_ know myself. I know myself better than anyone because I _am_ me. But they barely listen about sounds I can't listen to, and they never want to hear anything about the patterns that make me sick or the feelings that make my skin crawl. And they say they understand me and know what to do but they don't and they just laugh and dismiss me when I say they're doing it wrong and I _can't_ be boy-Ori anymore."

Her voice got faster and louder as she spoke, and neither Dwalin nor Nori tried to interrupt or quiet her. They listened, and Nori buried herself against her girlfriend to keep from breaking down at how clearly broken Ori felt. But Dwalin was the tower of strength she always was.

"Then you won't," she said, voice firm and clear. "Tomorrow we'll get you new clothes and Dori will talk to your parents. That will make them listen. And if they don't then you'll stay here, or stay with Dori. No one will make you be anything but you."

And Ori - Ori who never needed anyone, Ori who had always been described as cold and aloof - Ori burst into tears.


	290. Something New - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nwalin Week (Take 2) Day 7. Prompt: Something New

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goes with:  
> [Nori propositions Dwalin](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1392592/chapters/3014284)  
> [Bilbo misgenders Dwalin](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1145580/chapters/2319793)  
> [Balin doesn’t know Dwalin as well as he should](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1689998/chapters/3681146)

Nori was not what she expected. The way he had reacted to her on that first meeting, she thought she knew what she was dealing with. Dwalin was a warrior, large, strong, scarred with battle. She was not delicate like fine jewelry. She was not rounded and content. Her hands were large, calloused, and grown careless with fine details on metalwork. She enjoyed the occasional dalliance, but those who were attracted to her strength the way Nori was usually came in one of three kinds.

The first were fellow warriors. They looked at her and saw her strength, saw someone they didn't have to be careful of. Saw someone who could watch their backs. They were often desperate couplings between them - the midst of a war making them needy for anything that could remind them of something outside. She had lost a few warrior lovers in the battles that followed, had nearly died trying to protect more than one. And once out of war, a strong and scarred reminder of the fight was not what most people wanted in a lover.

There were those who saw a strong woman and wanted to break her. These might be men or women just as strong who wanted to show their strength, but they were just as likely to be smaller people who felt a need to prove themselves. Dwalin knew now how to recognize those, an ability bought from hard experience, and she was grateful to Balin and Thorin, who had allowed her to come out of the experience intact.

Then there were those who saw a strong woman and wanted to be broken by her. They reveled in having the strength turned on them, in the bruises they gathered during rough sport. They longed to be taken over and dominated. Dwalin preferred them to the other kind, though she was always careful when taking lovers.

She didn't expect Nori. She didn't expect flirting on the road. She didn't expect reminders to eat and sleep. She didn't expect his bedroll slid up next to hers on the first night out. She didn't expect that he'd want more than just sex. She didn't expect him to want to sit and brush her hair, twisting braids into it that she hadn't worn in years.

Most of all, she didn't expect that when they went to bed Nori would pull her close and just hold her. She rested her head on his chest, a little confused but enjoying the warmth of his arms. And though she was the larger, stronger one of the pair of them - the one with battle experience - she felt safe and protected as she hadn't felt with anyone in years.


	291. Lively - The Space One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo reflects on his unexpected guests.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Opening the prompts list again, because I want to write more. I have added "A Gift Unlooked For" and the space one to the list of 'verses.
> 
> I'm honestly not sure exactly what they're there to get Bilbo for, but why shouldn't he have an unexpected party even though he's in space?

Bilbo was adult enough to admit that he was surprised by his unexpected guests. Surprised by their presence, of course, but also by how they acted.

A group of Hobbits this size wouldn't have been surprising. Hobbits were gregarious. They ate and sang, danced, gossiped. He would not have been shocked so see hearty laughter from Hobbits. Men? Well, it could be hard to tell with Men. They were taller than anyone had a need to be. But in his experience, they could be induced to laugh. Elves would have been something to see. Bilbo didn't know many, but he thought they were very solemn. Stretched too thin, they were, so they seemed to wear the world like an overcoat that didn't fit.

Dwarves were grim, weren't they? Who could read anything behind those beards anyway?

They had emptied his pantry in short order - and the smell of their food was, frankly, mouthwatering. And then they had eaten, and Bilbo didn't want to see a meal like that again. He had been plied with food, even as he still tried to weakly protest their very presence, and then he could do nothing but sit and whimper softly.

They laughed with the whole of their being.

They played lively music and sang.

The younger ones danced.

They were a merry company, once he started to get used to them.


	292. Final - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the last night before leaving for the quest.

They had lived in the cabin for almost eighty years. It was the only home Kíli had known. It was strange to think how little mark they had made on it. The furnishings weren't theirs - they had been there when they moved in. And things that they owned? There was little enough of that. It was packed in bags by the door - their clothes, tools, money and food. Little enough, and easily removed. And left the cabin looking as though it hadn't been occupied for those 77 years.

"You can still change your mind, lad," Bofur said, still trying to talk him out of it.

"No," he answered slowly. The cabin had always been home, but seeing it like this Kíli wondered. They had left no mark on it. It didn't look like a home.

That last night was strange, and Kíli was glad to leave in the morning.


	293. Numb - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli has a bad reaction to the Goblins.

The Trolls hadn't even been close. The threat there had been bad - they would have eaten them if they thought they could get away with it - but it had been Trolls. They were big and strong, and ultimately stupid. Kíli had been afraid, but he'd never doubted that someone would come up with something.

Goblins were another thing entirely. Goblins, for all that everyone liked to pretend otherwise, were intelligent. They had been surrounded. They had had weapons pointed at them. They had had their things taken away from them. They had been threatened with things that were worse than being eaten.

Kíli had been so afraid he was numb. So certain there was nothing they could do that his brain just stopped. His ears stopped hearing, his eyes stopped seeing. His nose shut down so he couldn't smell the foul stench of the Goblins all around him. He felt nothing. He shut down everything he could.

But even through that he heard his brother's humming. And though the magic was turned out toward the Goblins, the rush of battle fury the song brought with it cleared Kíli's senses. He saw the Goblins turned almost to statues with the magic around them.

Still almost desperate, he joined the song. And as they carefully moved, he shook himself awake again. Because this was going to come to fighting, and he couldn't be numb.


	294. Erratic - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's hard to know Bifur.

It was hard to get to know Bifur. Not in the traditional sense. Bell quickly knew the quiet of the man's life. She easily recognized his gentleness and how much he loved children and animals.

But it was hard to see this man - this gentle, careful man - lose control of himself. The wound he had suffered - and still suffered damage from! - had done so much to hurt him. He couldn't speak easily, not even in Khuzdul, which was the only language left to him. He felt emotions with a rawness that was mostly seen with small children. There were times he would lose control of his own muscles - where his hands would shake and his body would shake and he couldn't get out of bed or even feed himself. There were times his mind drifted.

It was hard to see him on days when his steps were erratic. Those days, the best he could do to give in to the children's demands to be held was to sit on the floor next to them and let them cuddle up to him. The children knew to be gentle with him on those days, the way he always was with them.

And Bell always rewarded them for their gentleness. They would have been careful with Bifur anyway - they all loved him - but encouraging their care was the most she could do to care for her friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I first started writing Bifur, I looked up the effects of a brain injury in the left frontal cortex. Those are all actual things a person with that kind of injury would have.


	295. Transparent - Line of Durin

Dwarves were strong and solid. They were smaller than Men and Elves, but broad. They rarely got sick, and they were hard to hurt.

Dwarven crafts were likewise. They were made of stone or metal - sturdy, solid. Strong. They weren't easily hurt.

It wasn't easy to be a Dwarf in a proper kingdom with a craft that wasn't metal. Dwarves looked down on Kíli's leather and fur. They looked down on Ori's writing. They looked down on Vedyn's glass.

She had learned it as a girl in the towns of Men. She had admired the way light played through the products. She had admired the ability of the glass blowers - it took strength and coordination to blow glass, or even to pour it in molds. Vedyn was proud of her craft.

Some scoffed at how delicate glass could be. Some sneered at the fact that glass couldn't be as large and dominating as stone and metal. Some laughed that glass was so transparent you couldn't even see it, and what kind of craftsmanship did that show?

Vedyn held up a colored glass bottle and let the light shine through it to paint the wall opposite. She held out several bits of colored glass shards to paint the wall with light. And she scoffed at those who dismissed her craft and ability.


	296. Over - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Balin starts to teach his child how to braid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goes with:  
> [Balin has an exam near the end of his pregnancy](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1155507/chapters/2372100)  
> [Dwalin takes care of Balin and his child after a difficult delivery](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1689998/chapters/3732977)  
> [Balin changes his child’s diaper](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/4557687)  
> [Balin is allowed out of the house for the first time](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/6380222)

"First this side goes over, then this one. Over. Over. Over. Do you see, my love?"

The child giggled, wriggling to get closer. Balin clasped the ends of the braids and then quickly divided his beard into sections. He held the plump toddler hands in his own.

"See? Over. Over. That's all it is."

"Are you trying to teach Khaíli how to braid?"

Balin barely glanced at his brother. "It's not hard to do."

"He's three. He thinks walking is hard to do." Dwalin walked over and plucked the toddler away. He tossed Khaíli into the air, making the child shriek with delight. "And now you're over me," he said with a grin, holding the toddler up high.

"Oh-va!" Khaíli squealed, and both adults laughed.


	297. Hold - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo tells his child stories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goes with:  
> [Thorin and Bilbo discuss how they got their children](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1596323/chapters/3521936)  
> [Bilbo plants a child in his garden](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/4710063)  
> [Bilbo and Thorin are happy with their children near](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/4768665)  
> [Kíli watches Thorin carve](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2359988/chapters/6000878)

It was comforting, having Byrin laying around the house. His child, fully ripened but still so small. The faunt liked to scramble into his lap and demand stories, but Bilbo loved to tell them.

He would tell about fearsome Trolls who wanted to eat wayward children, making his own shriek with fear and delight.

He would tell about the tall spires of Rivendell, waxing poetic on the library that Byrin wasn't interested in yet.

He would tell about a Man who could turn into a bear, which was only ever half believed.

He would tell - his voice laughing - about the troupe of Dwarves who had invaded his home, eaten all his food, and taken him on an amazing adventure, and Byrin asked to go on his own.

He would tell - his voice trembling - about the last battle, and how his Dwarves were so brave and so stupid. And now so dead.

And Byrin would cuddle close, too young to understand the loss that Bilbo felt but only knowing that papa was sad. And Bilbo would hold tight, the last piece of Thorin fitting perfectly in his arms. And when he held his child it wasn't as bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little does he know, Thorin is not dead.....


	298. Magic - A Gift Unlooked For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mama is magic

Papa was the strongest ever. He could carry Norin around for hours without seeming to tire. He was the best warrior too, and Norin wanted to be just like him. (His uncles got him miniature axes _just like_ Grasper and Keeper, and everyone smiled at him when he put them on and followed Papa on his rounds.)

Mama was magic. She would pull coins from behind his ears. She could appear from nowhere and pick Norin up to tickle him. Mama _always_ knew what was going on. She said she could see him no matter where she was! Norin loved Mama with all his might and pestered her for years to teach him how to do her tricks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She will eventually teach him to be sneaky. I don't think it will ever work well for Norin.


	299. Clean - A Gift Unlooked For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dwalin just wants to be clean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.

The water was so hot it steamed even after he'd been in it for more than half an hour. But that was okay. It was okay because hot water cleaned best, didn't it?

Except it hadn't worked yet.

He could hear the snap of bone. He could hear the thud of body meeting wall. He could see the way the older boy's eyes rolled back in his head. He could see him falling to the floor, flopping like a landed fish.

And then - only then - had the instructors rushed over. But by then it was too late. And the looks on their faces when they turned to him.... He would never forget them.

He scrubbed, to try and wash all of it away. But no matter how hard he scrubbed at himself, he was still red. He could still see blood. He was still covered in blood.

He didn't even feel the tears on his cheeks as he scrubbed harder.


	300. Hush - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ori tries to keep Kíli quiet.

Ori grabbed Kíli and pulled him into the shadows, clamping a hand over his mouth. The younger by startled and pulled against the surprisingly strong hold. He managed to free his mouth by pulling very insistently.

"What's wrong, Ori?"

"Shhhhh," Ori hissed. "They might hear you."

As royalty, even if he was fifth in line for the throne and not likely to sit on it, Kíli knew that he could be a target for assassins or kidnappers. He stilled, pressing back into Ori's arms. There was no one else around, so he would have to fight them off himself and protect himself and Ori. But he wasn't even 40 and he was scared.

He took hold of the sword at his hip, ready to pull it. Trying to control his breathing the way the trainers said to, he bit his lip to keep quiet and watched out of the nook. After a few moments he heard footsteps and tensed. Shadows crossed in front of them, soon followed by a pair of men in the uniform of palace guards.

He let go of the sword and breathed a shaky sigh of relief. "It's just the palace guards, Ori."

The older boy's hand covered his mouth again. "You said you didn't go to your classes," he whispered. "I don't want you to get beaten."

"Beaten?"

"Shhhhh." Ori darted a quick look out of their hiding space. "If you don't do what you're supposed to, don't you get beaten?"

"Of course not," Kíli said. "Mother and father will frown at me and be disappointed, and uncle Thorin will shake his head and sigh, and Grandpa will tell me what a disgrace I am to the line of Durin. And then Fíli will give me the books and I'll be made to study on my own." He considered. "And mother will threaten me with no dessert, but she never goes through with it."

Ori's colorless eyes were wide. "That's it?"

"Do Dori and Nori beat you?" Kíli asked, not liking the idea but not sure what else to think.

"Not my brothers," Ori answered softly.

It left Kíli with so many questions, but he remembered how Dwalin had said to be gentle with Ori and he didn't ask them. He took the other boy's hand in his own and tugged. "Come on. We still have time to go to the top. You can see the whole world from the top of the mountain."

As they walked, he held Ori's hand tightly.


	301. Confusion - The Space One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> bifur wakes after battle

Bifur woke to chaos. Her eyes saw smells. She could taste sounds. The sheets felt so blue it hurt. Nothing made sense. Her brain couldn't interpret anything. Voices were a whir of mint and sage. The touch of a hand was green spreading up her arm. She heard time moving and thought she saw every atom in the air around her.

Through it, she couldn't tell how she reacted. But there was a sudden blinding white pressure and oblivion rushed to take her back into nothingness.

The next time she woke, she was careful about considering herself before opening her eyes. This time, she saw the sickbay around her. She could move her eyes and see her shipmates in the nearby beds and the nurses walking down the rows. She could hear the steady beeping of the monitors all through the room. She breathed a sigh of relief.

Although....

Everything she saw had a glow of color around it that she couldn't understand. And behind the beeping, she thought she heard a song. But she was on a ship of metal flying through space, a long way from the caverns and stones of her home. Metal didn't sing. But, closing her eyes so she could focus her ears, it seemed this metal was.

She drifted in the song until a nurse approached. It was... She should know his name, but there was a hole in her thinking. He saw that she was awake and spoke.

It was as if her ears had to learn how to hear. The nurse's volume wavered and it sounded like he spoke gibberish. She opened her mouth to ask hm to repeat what he said, and Khuzdul came out. Her jaw snapped shut, because the nurse wasn't a Dwarf and shouldn't hear. He was a Hobbit. _Took_ , she finally remembered.

He drew back a pace and then spoke again. And though his voice was clear, he still spoke gibberish. She tried to pull together the words in Common, but it was missing from her brain.

What else might be missing that she should know or be able to do? The sheer enormity of the damage tried to pull her back under, the soft green haloing Took seemed to reach out as he spoke his gibberish - Common, it must be - and wrapped around her calmingly.

The green seemed to blend in with the song of the ship - and who ever heard of a ship having a Song! - to soothe her down into sleep. Perhaps when she woke again things would be better.


	302. Tea - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo finds his tea at Rivendell.

It wasn't until they got to Rivendell that Bilbo remembered the tea in his pack. They cooked and ate quickly on the road, using fireless supplies which had amazed Bilbo the first time he'd seen them. They drank water or coffee, although Dwalin complained every time that it was instant and he couldn't drink that swill. (He drank it anyway.)

Bilbo had begun to get used to the coffee, though he still made faces every time he drank some. It was a way to fit in with the others, and it was really the only choice outside of water. Even if he had remembered his tea, it needed more preparation than he was likely to be able to give it.

So it wasn't until Rivendell, where he was repacking all of his things to settle them better for the journey, that he found the careful packets of tea. He held one to his nose, closing his eyes as he breathed deep, and smelled home. He was reminded of his smial, his books, his comfortable bed. He was reminded of his parents.

And he carefully put the tea back. It was a drink for home. And right now he didn't have one.


	303. Commit - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin's commitment is always to his people.

When Thorin did something, he threw himself into it completely. It was, he considered, one of his better traits. And what he did most - the thing that meant the most to him - was take care of his people. Their wellbeing was a sign that he was making a difference.

He led them through hardship, taking the worst on himself.

He found them a place in Ered Luin, giving the best space to his sister and taking the worst for himself.

He worked himself, every day as hard as he could, to make money to support not only his sister but his people. Dís made sure he was taken care of - he wouldn't have done it himself. What did he matter? All of Erebor's people were in need and they were his responsibility.

He worked himself to the bone to try and keep his people alive and well. He scraped and starved himself to keep harsh winters from taking children. He passed up his own treatment to let elders have medicine when sickness ran through the community.

And always, always he did all he could for his sister and her sons. He played with the boys, taught them, comforted them. It was sometimes all that gave his life worth.


	304. Echo - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin answers Kíli's question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here are previous pieces:  
> [Fíli goes to the prom](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1335373/chapters/2902849)  
> [Thorin fights for custody of his nephews](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3149962)  
> [Thorin Oakenshield is free](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3449702)  
> [Three times people were done](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3575459)  
> [Bofur gets beat up again](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1470961/chapters/3175739)  
> [Thrailís is assaulted by friends of his brother](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3761203)  
> [Kíli meets a new girl in school](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/4684665)  
> [Kíli looks up to his uncle](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2359988/chapters/5326133)  
> [Nori proactively protects Asian women](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/6476804)  
> [Nori and Dwalin have an anniversary](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/6900539)  
> [Balin waits for a flight](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/6988208)  
> [Nori brings home a kitten](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/8064384)  
> [Cats like Dwalin](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/8832631)  
> [Ori runs away from home](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/8853382)

It started innocently enough. Kíli felt like a horrible person because he couldn't forgive his grandparents for outing his uncle Thorin in court. And he knew he wa supposed to forgive people and be nice to them, but he just couldn't.

Thorin tried to explain that he hadn't really forgiven them either - for the outing, or for how they had treated him when he was young. He said it was only good sense to try and keep away from people so toxic. He reassured Kíli that he was a good boy and that he was proud of him.

But Kíli was twelve and still having trouble with the idea. So Thorin bundled the boy and his brother into the car and drove out to an overlook. He hallooed to get the echo, and both excited boys began hollering out into the air and listening to their voices come back to them.

It palled after a while and they turned curiously to their uncle. He stood quietly until all the echoes had completely gone.

"How long did it take for it to get quiet again?" he asked.

They both shrugged. "A long time," Kíli answered.

Thorin nodded. "The things we say and do are like the echo. After we finish doing or saying, there are still consequences. Frerin and your grandparents haven't even stopped yelling yet. Do you understand, Kíli?"

The boy nodded slowly. "So what can we do?"

Thorin smiled and put an arm around each boy's shoulder. "Let's go home," he suggested.

Kíli looked like he wanted to argue, to ask for an answer to his question. Fíli slowly nodded, eyes brightening under the slow understanding that that was the answer.


	305. Lower - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> smials are smaller than the homes of Men.

Bilbo didn't like visitors. He was young, his parents always said, patting him on the head and sending him out to play. But outside were the visitors, and he didn't like playing there.

Men were too big, and they always looked as though they thought they were superior to Hobbits. Elves were also too big, and they had a detachment that Bilbo didn't like. It was like they felt that everything in the world was worthless. Rangers were just another type of Men, and they were always around and in everyone's business.

He did like it when they were invited inside, though. It was fun to watch Men and Elves try to make their way around the smial. Things got knocked over a lot, so there was always a lot of cleaning, but that didn't spoil his mood.

They always knocked their heads, which was the most fun. It served them right for being too tall, he thought. It was enough being as tall as his parents. Who needed to be taller than that? Men and Elves were just too big, and it served them right to hit their heads on the low ceilings.


	306. Run - Life Debt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for character death

Thorin's arms shook as he held the still body. It had only take a single unguarded moment, and his sister's husband - his friend - was gone, the victim of a single, desperate Orc who was standing there watching. No doubt enjoying Thorin's grief and ready to send him to Mandos' Hall along side his companion.

He laid the other man gently on the ground, closing his eyes and folding his hands over his breast.

Then he looked up, and the Orc took an uncertain step back. "Run," he growled.

The Orc fled.

It didn't get far.


	307. Caring - Line of Durin

Kíli had never been without those who cared for him.

His Ma, now that he knew her. She always seemed so full of wonder that he was there.

Fíli, the brother who he had never quite realized he wanted. But every time Fíli looked his way he smiled, and how could Kíli not respond?

He had so many uncles. Thorin and Balin, Bofur and Bombur. Óin and Glóin acted as though they were uncles too. They taught him and took care of him.

He had friendship from Ori and his brothers, from his archers and neighbors, from Legolas and the Elves of Mirkwood, and Bard and the Men of Dale. From the Hobbits who lived outside the mountain.

He had love in the form of Vedyn and his children.

He had Dwalin, whose gruff pride had become something he eagerly sought out.

And always always, there was his Da. The safe place he went when he was uncertain or sad. The gentlest hands to soothe away a child's tears or an adults fears.

Kíli had never known a lack of love. And, never knowing that lack, Kíli was able to care about everyone around him.


	308. Fatality - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> thorin is a teacher

Thorin taught weapons to the youth of Bree. Particularly the Dwarves, of course, but also some young Hobbits, and even a few young Men. He taught them to defend themselves. He taught them how to incapacitate an attacker, how to get themselves to safety. He taught them the forms and the steps for solitary meditation.

He did not teach them how to kill. They were young and lived in peace. They didn't need to know how to kill. They didn't need to know how to think of other living beings as things. He hoped that none of them would ever have to hear the sound of an enemy breathing his last.

He prayed that none of them would ever have to hear the sound that came when a loved one stopped breathing. It was a sound that came not from the dead but from your own heart. And a piece of you went with them. And he prayed with everything in him that none of his young students would ever feel as frayed as he did.


	309. Whispered - The Space One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin comforts Fíli and Kíli when they hear rumors.

There were always the whispers. Dwarves learned to ignore them. They had to or they'd run mad. They were already a people without their homes. They were scattered through space, relegated to the edges of the Alliance.

They didn't need to hear Elves and Men whisper that perhaps they had destroyed their homes. That perhaps they had somehow come into being in the deeps of space and had no homes.

Fíli and Kíli were young when they first heard. People forgot how much young ears heard, and someone hadn't stopped their mouth when the children were there. They came running to Thorin crying, pulling at his sleeves and begging to be told that what they had heard was false.

Thorin gathered them into his lap - they wouldn't be small enough to both fit there much longer. He brushed their tears away and told stories about the great wonders of Erebor, and the majesty of Khazad-Dum. He spoke of relics the Dwarves had - things that couldn't be made with current technology but had been made far in the past. He spoke of battles, of disasters. Of a people fled so far that the stars of home were a distant memory, their coordinates forgotten. Of a people fled so far in the vast deeps of space that they had even lost each other.

And he told them how they were always looking for their homes. He told them the stories, the songs of those deep, old places.

And the next time they heard someone whispering about Dwarf lies, they clenched their hands, raised their chins, and moved on.


	310. Breeze - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the Shire has a hot summer.

Bilbo lay on the grass, splayed so that no piece of him touched any other piece. It was a boiling hot summer. There were very few visitors - he could understand why they wouldn't want to travel, even if summer was usually a time heavy with visitors. There were usually lots of fairs and markets and the Hobbits made good money selling to the large crowds of visitors that summer usually brought.

But this year was hotter than anything he remembered. Rangers were few and far between. Visitors were as well. Everyone took care of young children and old people, because they were in danger. Bilbo himself was old enough that he was mostly ignored as his mother traveled to Tuckborough to help take care of his grandfather and youngest cousins.

A breeze ruffled the grass and Bilbo lifted his head, blindly looking for even the slight relief that came with the movement of the air.


	311. Born - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli was born to be loved.

Kíli was born to be loved, and Dís didn't think it was just a mother's affection that made her think so. The nurses had cooed over him and taken turns holding him in the hospital. When Dís had him with her, they would stop by just to see him if they were having trouble with another patient.

He slept through the night quite young and was never a colicky baby. Even when he was sick, he was still cheerful and smiling. He loved people and always wanted to be held and cuddled.

He had the biggest smile, and Dís had trouble denying him anything when he smiled like that at her. Luckily, he was also a people pleaser and rarely asked for much that she couldn't give.

He was like that in school as well. Even as a toddler, all the other children loved him. He wasn't the leader of most groups, but he was usually the heart of it. When grade school classes said you had to give Valentines to everyone, or invite everyone to your parties he didn't mind. And he was a wonderful little host, always going around and anxious that everyone had a good time.

She worried that he would be taken advantage of, but he smiled at her and she couldn't keep fretting in the face of his smile. And she watched him as he grew. Kíli was like a puppy, wanting to please everyone. But she watched him sail through troubles and saw how he didn't lose sight of his own needs, and she worried less.


	312. Murmur - The Space One

Thorin had been born on a ship, had grown up on one. By the time he went to the academy, there was nothing he needed to be taught about the engineering and maintenance of a ship. It only made sense for the young, recently promoted lieutenant to be sent onto the derelict.

And when it turned out to be an ambush by Goblins and the ship started moving almost as soon as he got on it, he was ready to crawl all over it, finding hiding places that most people wouldn't know about. They caught him eventually, but he had been given enough time. He had set the ship to explode from a layer of command that was deeper than the standard access.

He hoped his ship would get there in time to save him. He prayed that he would get out alive. But he wouldn't allow himself to fall into the hands of the Goblins. He knew too much about ships, and if they knew who he was....

But he would never tell them. As they tried to beat him to submission he never gave a murmur.


	313. Soon - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo gives Bifur a surprise.

"Soon," Bilbo promised, squeezing Bifur's hand as he led the blindfolded man. His husband knew he'd been planning something, but Bifur was always considerate secrets and hadn't pried even once. He'd let Bilbo know he was willing to listen, that he was curious and interested, but he didn't pry. It was one of the things Bilbo loved about him.

The other man grumbled, having to know one part of the surprise already. Bilbo smiled as he looked around the living room at all the preparations. He had spent a lot of time staring at newspapers and looking at unfamiliar names to make this happen.

"Okay," he said, releasing Bifur's hand and stepping aside.

Bifur blinked around at the unfamiliar faces, turning a furrowed brow to Bilbo for explanations.

One of the women stepped forward and kissed his cheek. "Happy birthday, cousin," she said. She handed him a photograph of his mother and her siblings when they were young.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you recall, Bifur's mother was disowned when she became pregnant in high school. He has never met that side of his family.


	314. Listen - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ori is Frodo's favorite person.

Frodo was going to marry Ori when he grew up. He told Ori once, and Ori had laughed and ruffled his hair and said that he'd have to fight Fíli for that.

But Ori was his favorite person in the world (after his daddies, of course). He liked to stop by the shoppe for tea and muffins, and he often brought his sketch book along. He didn't mind if Frodo wanted to kneel on the chair opposite and hang over the table to watch him.

And while they were together like that, Frodo was allowed to talk about anything he wanted. Ori didn't talk much, but he didn't shush Frodo either. Ori _listened_ in a way that no one else did.

And Frodo told him all kinds of things. He told Ori the few things he remembered of his parents. He told him about all the other relatives he'd lived with. He told him how Bilbo and Bifur had accepted him from the first; how he'd called them daddy since the day he'd arrived. He told him about school, his teachers and classmates, the work he was doing. He told him about the few friends he'd made. One morning when he hadn't gotten much sleep, he told him how he woke up in the night sometimes thinking that it was all a dream.

Ori listened. And he never told Frodo that he was wrong. Never said that Frodo should speak better of Aunt Lobelia or Saradoc. Never did more than smile at the things that is classmates did. And sometimes when he got up to leave he would carefully tear out the page from his book and present it to Frodo.

And Frodo would see that he had drawn a talisman against his fears. Or the happy scene of his distant memories. Or his daddies. Once, he drew the history lesson they'd had in school, and Frodo remembered it so much better after that.

And Frodo knew that someday he would be able to repay Ori. (He wanted to marry him, but really, he didn't think he'd be able to fight Fíli, who was a real policeman.)


	315. Breathing - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a simple place to start....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goes with:  
> [Dwalin gives his King advice](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/6220622)  
> [Thorin gets advice from her sister](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/4326429)  
> [Thorin takes care of her people through the Fell Winter](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/4630359)  
> [Fíli wants to be like his aunt](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1335373/chapters/2861551)  
> [Bilbo meets Thorin](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1596323/chapters/3507539)  
> [Thorin’s thoughts on being back in Erebor](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3567695)
> 
> Chronologically just after the first two.

"What are we doing?" Thorin asked suspiciously, eyeing the empty room.

Dwalin snorted at her. "I'm not practicing weapons with you anymore." He held up a hand as she rounded on him furiously. "There's what you need to learn first, but you've been dead set on skipping it and learning fifty years of skills in a matter of months. I won't let you do it anymore."

"Then what are we doing?" Thorin asked again, crossing her arms with an expression that on anyone else would have been described as a sulk.

"Breathing."

"I know how to breathe, Dwalin," Thorin said drily.

"Good, then this will be an easy lesson."

"And then what?" Thorin pushed.

"And then we run. And fall. We'll meditate and do sword forms. We'll practice unarmed before I let you at a weapon again."

Thorin's lips compressed and Dwalin prepared to fight her over it, but after a moment she deflated. "Very well. We'll breathe. Is there anything other than inhale exhale to do?"

"Everything," Dwalin said, feeling his own relieved exhale and smiling.


	316. Stripped - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin has one selfish thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goes with:  
> [Dwalin gives his King advice](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/6220622)  
> [Thorin gets advice from her sister](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/4326429)  
> [Dwalin restarts Thorin's training in a different way](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/9778428)  
> [Thorin takes care of her people through the Fell Winter](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/4630359)  
> [Fíli wants to be like his aunt](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1335373/chapters/2861551)  
> [Bilbo meets Thorin](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1596323/chapters/3507539)  
> [Thorin’s thoughts on being back in Erebor](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3567695)

At the end of the day was the ritual that not even Dís was allowed to be part of. It was Thorin's one selfishness, the one thing she kept for herself.

Thorin had never wanted to be a woman in the way that it was typically meant in Dwarf society - meant if you were royal, certainly. She didn't want to only make beautiful and useless things. She didn't want to shed light and honor on her line but not quite have any herself. She wanted to rule, and she had the education and the inclination for it, even if she hadn't learned at her grandfather's knee the way Frerin had.

But in the years she had led her people, she had cause to think of the things she had lost. She wasn't vain, but she hadn't allowed herself ornamentation since she had taken the name Thorin. She had worn pants before, when she was young, but now they were all that she wore and she found that she missed the swish of skirts around her ankles.

And then Dís had met her Víli, and oh... That was something she could never have. To be a woman and rule, she couldn't take a husband. She couldn't bear her own children. And as she played with tiny Fíli, it almost broke her heart.

So she had this one ritual for herself in the evening. She closed the door behind her and drew a scorching bath in the tub. Then she stripped herself down, casting the men's clothes she wore to the side of the room. Naked, she let herself stand in the steam and just breathe, breathe as Dwalin had taught her. She unbraided her hair and shook out her dark mane.

And for a short time, she was Thrailís again.

She bathed, and she touched herself. Her own body; a woman's body. She touched her curves, her valleys, her hidden places. She used Dís' scented soaps, knowing that the smell of them wouldn't last through the night and into the next morning well enough for anyone else to detect.

But here, for this short time, she could have it. Here, she could slide herself into a nightdress that Dís made her, the feel of the soft cotton luxurious on her heated skin. It had lace - her sister head learned to knit lace! - and colored ribbons, and though they didn't have full length mirrors in Ered Luin, she knew what she must look like in it. She knew anyone calling late at night wouldn't recognize Thorin King in the woman who braided her hair simply down her back for sleep.

But she was home. And at home she could be stripped of her titles. At home, she could be Thrailís, though the name hadn't been spoken aloud in years.


	317. Obsessive - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo watches Thorin

Bilbo had known that Dwarves loved gold. It was all over everything he had ever found about them. It was most of what people knew about Dwarves and fueled the rumors and legends about how gold was all they loved.

Bilbo had known of the dragon sickness and Thrór's fall to it. He had heard Thorin despair of the possibility of falling like his grandfather, and Gandalf and Elrond predicting that it would happen.

But it wasn't until they were in the mountain that he understood the obsession that could overcome Dwarves surrounded by gold. He saw Thorin's eyes fill with golden light as he looked over the treasure. He learned how hard it was to get him to leave the treasury. He watched Thorin's hands shake as they sifted through the gold, doing nothing but watch it fall through his fingers, every time his hands emptied he filled them again. He couldn't think what might be on the Dwarf's mind at those times, but watching him do nothing but that for hours made him fear.


	318. Recoil - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Balin tries to say goodnight and it goes very badly.

It was rare to find Dori so lost in thought that he was unaware of what was going on around him. But as everyone moved off to bed, Balin saw that Dori wasn't even giving good nights. And it was late, and he knew how much Dori did around the house.

He put a hand on his extended brother's shoulder, meaning to tell him that it was growing late and they should both be off to bed. But Dori recoiled at the touch, practically hissing, looking ready to leap at Balin if need be.

Balin remembered once being in Dale when a feral dog was found living in a midden. It was skin and bones and was certainly sick, but when Men went to try and get it out to help it, it had bitten them and growled, so used to being hurt that it didn't understand gentleness. Dori had the same look in his eyes.

He eased back a few steps, unsure what had brought this on. Dori never let himself be seen out of sorts. He was quiet and competent, and had adjusted completely to Erebor, or so they had thought.

"Dori," he said and saw the younger man tense. He worked to gentle his voice more. "It's late. You must be tired. It's time for bed."

"You will not touch me," Dori growled, almost hugging himself as he shrank down and away.

Balin lowered himself as well, keeping back. "Dori," he said again, watching the other's reaction to hearing his name. "It's only Balin."

Dori blinked a few times, seeming to come back to himself. He stayed as he was, huddled back from Balin, and looked at him with distrust, but no more than usual.

"It's late," Balin repeated gently. "I'm heading to my bed, and I think you probably want your own." He stood, watching how Dori curled further in on himself, and made himself leave. There was nothing he could do now.

Not now, but he resolved to watch closer in the future and not come upon the other unaware again.


	319. Lies - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bofur is bad at lying.

Bofur was honest. It was a long held habit with him, developed in childhood. His parents had always laughed at him and told him they could tell when he was lying in a heartbeat.

So Bofur didn't tell lies. He learned how to just accept the consequences of his actions, because he couldn't lie his way out of anything. And he learned to be charming and smile so that the consequences might be lessened because people loved him.

Living in the small rented room in the city through the summer and waiting for a child to be placed in his arms, he had cause to regret this. What would he say when asked how he got the child? How could he answer when the child asked who his people were?

He fretted his way through the season, whittling down as much wood as he could get his hands on because it was unthinkable for him to not do something with his hands. They made enough to afford the rent on the room and enough that they'd be able to travel north when they finally had the child. It gave him no answers, and Bifur needed care so he didn't have the time to consider that he thought he needed.

It was years before he needed to answer those questions anyway. And when Kíli finally asked them, Bofur told him stories - he'd always been good at stories - and half truths. Kíli laughed at them and believed.


	320. Grace - The Space One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bifur knows beauty when she sees it.

Bifur was a familiar face at the hospital. She could get through most of the time and be fine, inside Dwarf society, but she had to be careful of her health. Who would take care of Bofur and Bombur if she didn't? So she went for regular check ups, letting the doctors know about the halo she saw around everything, but not that everything seemed to have a song. She was underground now, so of course she heard a song and no one would think anything of it, but she heard so many songs it was a symphony.

She grew to know the hospital staff well, and when a new member of maintenance started working, Bifur noticed her immediately. She was younger, though her hair had already turned silver, and she moved with such confidence. Bifur saw gold around her, gold and amethyst, and the floors chimed like bells when she walked by.

It took Bifur time to work up the nerve to talk to her. The woman had such grace, even when she was doing low paid work. It took time, but when Bifur finally did, it was nicer than she could have imagined.


	321. Sweet - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwalin is sweet.

Dwalin was huge (for a Dwarf, and to s Hobbit he was enormous). He was a warrior through and through, tattooed, scarred, rough around the edges. He had frightened her when he first came to her door, and he still frightened new people who met him, whatever race they were.

But Bell had learned more of him. She saw the delicacy of the things he crafted. She saw how gentle he was with the children. She saw his love of lovely things. She fed him, delighting in his appetite.

And always, she saw his rough edges trying to smooth themselves. He helped with everything around the house. He let the children boss him around incessantly. He would do anything she asked of him.

It took her very little time to notice how his eyes lit up when she made cookies. He was like a child himself in his love of sweet things, and she started keeping a cookie jar where only he could get to them because there was no point in spoiling the children with constant cookies. He shared them, of course, lifting the little ones up to get cookies out of the jar and then splitting the cookies with them.

He came into the kitchen when she was cooking sometimes, trying to steal them fresh out of the oven. She swatted him away the same as she did with the children, but he would just lift her up, laughing, and set her aside. The first cookie was always eaten when still too hot, Dwalin laughing as he dodged Bell's half hearted swatting.

He always made her smile.


	322. Calling - The Space One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> rock calls to Dwarves

It was such a palpable difference as soon as he stepped off the shuttle that Dwalin didn't know how he had managed the years at the academy and the years serving on a ship. It had been so long since he was near rock that was properly cared for.

Arda had some sweet melodies, but they were thin and simple, the Elves who counted the planet as home being more concerned with the forests than the mountains. (And he remembered that Thorin had almost been overwhelmed by those simple tunes, but then Thorin had been born and raised on a ship.)

He'd been on ships many times, so the sudden silence of space didn't make him a shivering wreck like it did some Dwarves. He spent ten years serving on a ship, and it took him almost half that to be able to sleep well. He lived for away missions where he could be on a planet - any planet. And the melodies of so many foreign worlds - a few deep with harmonies, but most so simple he could whistle the whole thing - were what got him through those years.

He knew that Harlond was a Dwarf home, but he had almost forgotten what that meant. He stepped off the shuttle and the entire moon was calling to him. The melody had been tended, deepened slowly through centuries. It was a symphony. His fingers itches for his violin. He wanted to answer the call of the moon's song, to blend his own music in with it, finding harmonies and picking apart the lines of it.


	323. Reach - The Space One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Óin can't reach across space.

Space was vast. It seemed a ridiculous observation. Of course space was vast. That's practically what space meant - room, empty and cold and huge.

But there were times that it was felt more than others, Óin reflected as he stared out the porthole at the star studded darkness outside his lab. He didn't really see it. He didn't really see his experiments.

He saw a young face, chocolate brown with the widest smile - a smile that could light up a room. He saw children, eager eyes watching his experiments, uncautious hands reaching for sparkling things, listening raptly to his stories. When Fíli and Kíli visited, Óin was always able to reach them before they could hurt themselves.

Kíli was too far for him to reach now.


	324. Shadow - The Space One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin doesn't know what happened...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I roll a 10 tomorrow, I'm rerolling. Three days in a row is my limit for the same verse.

Thorin arranged things so that he would be at Kíli's graduation. He sat with Dís and Fíli (who had had much more difficulty in arranging to be there, being a junior officer). They watched as Kíli walked, smiling at each other with fierce pride. And they saw him flash his smile at the whole crowd, the smile that no one could help responding to.

It was months before Thorin saw Kíli again. He had been sent home for medical leave, and that meant the Üski. They had been given precious little information, but it was obvious the youth needed it.

There was a shadow over his smile. Kíli would still smile at everyone, and his smile would still make them smile back, no matter who they were. But Thorin could see that there was something bothering his nephew. Innocent Kíli, beloved of everyone, was no longer innocent.


	325. Camping - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fíli and Kíli are allowed to camp on their own.

Thorin and Dwalin took them out and let them camp on their own. Since the boys were still young, they knew that their uncle and cousin were close by, but they still had the chance to take care of themselves for a week.

It was Fíli who came up with the idea to pretend. They played at being the Dwarves of Erebor, exiled and without new homes yet. They played at getting ready for a big battle - like Azanulbizar - where they would gain much honor and fame for themselves and their family. They played that they were uncle Thorin traveling the countryside to make money and support them.

They supplemented the food they had brought by catching fish and foraging for things they knew were safe. They tended their fire so it didn't go out and didn't get too big, going out to gather wood daily. But that only took so much time, even including the time they spent cooking for themselves - a fine treat for the first two days and then drudgery. And when they weren't taking care of their campsite, they practiced their fighting with each other, and told stories they remembered. And pretended to be Thorin and Dwalin leading everyone to safety, or leading the charge against Orcs.

Thorin and Dwalin never said how close they were or how much they had been watching the boys, but they spent a lot of time in the next months training them and telling them stories that would show that battle was not about honor and glory.


	326. Clear Skies - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the weather has meaning for Thorin.

He had always known what their names meant, but traveling under open skies made it so much different.

When the sky opened up and lightning and thunder caused everyone to huddle down in their tents and hope they weren't blown away, he saw himself. He saw the power that had been wished for him. He saw the terror he could produce in the right circumstances.

Soft falls of rain, those were the worst. They fed the ground, made it able to grow things, filled water barrels so they could all drink. The rain fed and nurtured and reminded him of his brother. The first time it rained after Azanulbizar, he had to go stand in it to pretend that the rain was the only thing wetting his cheeks.

He looked forward to the clear days. Those were the days that he could get the most done, and the days he felt closest to his sister. He would look into the deep, endless blue of the day. He would lie back and look deep into the black of the night, the countless stars looking back at him. And he knew that the same skies were over his sister, the only family he had left.

He didn't like the rain. He didn't like to remember. But the clear skies watched over him and made his way easier, as Dís had always done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Richard Armitage has linked the name Thorin to Thor (which isn't really a stretch, I believe they are related), which means "thunder." Going from there, I found a name that was _very similar_ to Frerin that means "rain." And then making Dís mean "clear skies" seemed natural. This was all done long ago, before I got this prompt.


	327. Fit - A Gift Unlooked For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dwalin has a conversation.

"What that boy needs is a good mother to take care of him."

Dwalin glanced at the woman next to him, an older woman, well padded and matronly. "He has one," he pointed out, going back to watching Norin play.

The woman scoffed. "A common thief," she dismissed. "Playing at being a lady and a hero. No, she's in no way fit to be the mother of a noble lad like this." She didn't seem to notice Dwalin's sharp look. "Now, I've a daughter who would be happy to take in this poor little one as well as any that you--"

Dwalin rounded on her with fury. "Norin is named for my line and also _for his mother_. Where was your daughter when the king called for aid in reclaiming our home? Where were you? But now you aim to reap the rewards of the hard work of others - of the _common thief_ you insulted. Nori came into the wilderness with us. She willingly put herself in danger to protect her family and her king. She fought in the battle of five armies, and almost gave her life for Erebor."

People around the room were looking at them, and Norin had run over to cling to his father's leg. Dwalin stooped to gather him up, kissing his messy hair. He looked around. "If I hear any filth like that again, I will be challenging the speaker to a duel," he announced for everyone to hear.

Holding his son close, he went home.


	328. Elusive - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bell can't sleep

Bell knew she should sleep. Thorin, old warrior that he was, slept next to her. But sleep was elusive. She kept listening intently for sounds that she knew weren't coming.

She had never really worried about illness among the boarders. They were adults, or nearly so, and could take care of themselves. But Calce was sick - her little baby who had no idea what was going on and cried pitifully. Bell and Thorin had been up with her for days, only hasty meals prepared for the boarders.

Dís had finally insisted that they rest. She had taken Calce home with her and promised to bring her to a doctor and take care of her for the next day so they could sleep.

And Bell knew she should sleep. She'd had little enough sleep in the last week and felt ragged around the edges. But she couldn't sleep when her baby was ill, and she was finding that she couldn't sleep when her baby was away.


	329. Insanity - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Living can be a form of insanity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yesterday was very busy, so have yesterday's short this morning, and I'll do today's next.

Had Men been able to easily tell the difference between male and female Dwarves, they would have had much more trouble. As it was, living was insanity. In the wake of the Dragon, woman had been encouraged to work in safe ways - there were few enough of them and they were the ones who would produce future Dwarves and ensure the continuation of families and lineages. Life was dangerous enough, and most women were willing to leave off arms practice.

And then Thrór decided that if they had lost Erebor they should try to win back Khazad-dûm. The Dwarves of Erebor set up camp several day's march from the Misty Mountains and sent emissaries to settled Dwarf kingdoms. The reclaiming of Khazad-dûm would enrich all Dwarves, so many came.

They marched away and the ones who didn't go watched after them and turned to daily tasks. They hunted and gathered and fished. They chopped wood and worked on crafts, building up stock to bring to the cities of Men. They mended and tended, teaching children and caring for them. And they watched the road west, waiting for the return of those who had gone.

Few came back. At a stroke, they had lost almost all of the royal family, and most of a generation of men. They had lost much of the goodwill other Dwarves had given them because of how few of their own warriors had survived.

And the ones who did return-- they were changed. They were prone to jump at shadows, to weep unexpectedly, to rage quickly. They had trouble dealing with Men and Elves.

Those who had stayed behind, predominantly women, took over as much as possible. They became the traders and merchants. They took up arms again to protect themselves. They tended their soldiers - wounded in their minds - and slowly worked on healing them.

But for years, living was a form of insanity.


	330. Unfold - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins are messy.

It was a full time job cleaning up after the twins. Bell thought they were a tornado in the body of two small boys. Everything was a game to them, and every game made a mess. Even when they were trying to help clean, they made a mess.

Their clothes came in dirty and torn on a daily basis. They made a mess eating. They spilled things on their papers. They ran everywhere and knocked things over. They couldn't come across a made bed without jumping on it. They needed to unfold every piece of paper they found.

Bell was only glad that everyone loved her little pieces of mischief, because if they didn't she would never hear the end of it.


	331. Dawn - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> having a baby means late nights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goes with:  
> [Balin has an exam near the end of his pregnancy](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1155507/chapters/2372100)  
> [Dwalin takes care of Balin and his child after a difficult delivery](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1689998/chapters/3732977)  
> [Balin changes his child’s diaper](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/4557687)  
> [Balin is allowed out of the house for the first time](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/6380222)  
> [Balin starts to teach his child to braid](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/9443022)

Dwalin was a warrior. He was no stranger to rising at dawn for a day's march, nor to being up at night on watch.

But he knew he had never seen dawn so many times in a row before Khaíli's birth. But the child didn't sleep through the night, even after more than a year. Balin and Dwalin split the duties of night feeding and changing, but it still meant most nights were interrupted.

Dwalin found himself falling asleep during the day over his work. He would drift off while watching the baby and wake up to Balin cooking dinner and a blanket wrapped around him. And then he would be awake into the night with a child who just wanted comfort or company.

They greeted the dawn together often, and Khaíli learned to wave to the sun as it came up.


	332. Dust - A Gift Unlooked For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ori has an allergy.

They didn't notice at first. Everyone was out of sorts being away from home. They were all making their own way to the Shire, although there was the promise of ponies once they got there, so it was a lot of walking. And then it was a lot of sleeping rough. Nori was used to it, and she was sure some of the ones who had endured more of the wandering days were also used to it, but there were young ones and others that hadn't traveled much since settling in Ered Luin.

As such, Nori was busy trying to ease the way for her brothers, and Ori was struggling to keep up. Neither of them really noticed until they spent the night at the Hobbit's home. Then it became all too obvious how much Ori was sniffling and how red his eyes were.

Dori just tutted and made sure Ori always had a handkerchief, which he'd been doing the whole trip, if only they'd paid attention.

Kíli was the one who asked, sweetly concerned for his friend.

Dori waved it off. "The dust makes him ill, poor mite."

Dori, who worked hard to be the perfect housekeeper. Dori, who made sure everything was immaculate even when he'd worked a full day. Dori, who they'd always laughed at for his fussiness. Nori and Ori glanced at each other, feeling ashamed of making fun of him when he'd been doing his best to care for them.


	333. Endangered - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin thinks about his nephews.

Thorin forced himself to look at the bodies on the cots. At Kíli, swathed in bandages, his face contorted in pain even through the pain killers and healing sleep. At Fíli, his eyes bandaged round so that the light didn't hurt them. They weren't sure how well either of them would heal - it was possible that they would both be permanently disabled by the recent battle.

It was his fault. Surely, the Orcs would have come on them one way or the other, but Thorin couldn't give all the blame to them. There would have been battle even if they hadn't come. There had already been a battle going on. Had Azog not come with his forces, he might have been sitting by nephews hurt by Men or Elves. And _he_ was the one who had brought on that battle.

Bilbo had been generous to say that he had not been himself and to forgive him his weakness. He had fallen prey to the same sickness of mind that had taken his grandfather. And in that madness, he had forgotten that the gold of Fíli's hair was worth more than any coin, the sparkle of Kíli's eyes was more precious than any gem.

And in his madness, he had put them in the line of battle. He had endangered half of his remaining family, more dear to him than all the gold of Erebor - because in that state of mind he had not remembered that. And he wasn't sure he could ever forgive himself for it.


	334. Pretend - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ori likes to pretend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second of two updates today (I missed yesterday), so don't forget to go back a chapter!

Sometimes, Ori liked to pretend that he was normal. He would pretend that his skin had color, that his teeth weren't pointed, that he had been born of a loving relationship. It never really worked. All he had to do was look at his hands and he knew that he was paler than the best paper. He could draw blood without half trying if he had to defend himself. And, while not the direct cause, his birth was the death of his mother.

Still, sometimes he could pretend. When he was sandwiched safe between his brothers. When Dwalin sat close and told hm stories. When Dóra taught him. When Balin or Fundin was proud of him. When Fíli and Kíli held his hand and smiled at him. At those times, his differences didn't matter. And for a little while, he could pretend.

Until the next time someone stared, or turned aside and spit.


	335. Mountains - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> while in the Shire settling his affairs, Bilbo longs for mountains.

Bilbo hadn't lied to young Hamfast. In all of his travels, he hadn't seen anything as beautiful as the rolling green of the Shire, with its peace and its plenty. But still, he stood in front of Bag End for a smoke and felt it behind him, and he longed for mountains.

He longed for the views from Erebor. For the owner of the Misty Mountains. For the tour Dáin had promised to provide personally when he was able to travel to the Iron Hills. Most of all, he longed for his Dwarves, the ones he had left behind and the ones coming from Ered Luin who he had yet to meet.

There was no place better than the Shire, but the Shire was small in size and in thoughts. Bilbo longed for mountains.


	336. Desire - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dwalin is no stranger to passion.

Dwalin was no stranger to passion. He knew what he liked and when he came across it he went after it. What he was new to was something that lasted as long as what he had with Dori. He'd never stayed somewhere as long as he'd lived in Bree - never since his childhood in Erebor. He was used to something brief and then moving on with fond memories.

He'd never known how much you could desire someone just by watching him pour a drink. He'd never felt quite the same stir seeing a slow, hard to get smile. He'd never crafted things just to make someone happy. He'd never known that passion could deepen with time, that he'd want someone just as much after ten years as after ten days.

But all of those were true. He found himself looking forward to any time spent with Dori. They would sit in Bell's parlor and drink tea and flirt. They would go out drinking together. And they would lock themselves in the small apartment Dori shared with his brother (making sure that Ori was out first), and Dwalin found that knowing one another as well as they did only enhanced the desire they felt behind closed doors.


	337. Shortbread - Line of Durin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sometimes they can splurge

Summer was comparatively easy. Everything was open, Bofur and Bombur got regular pay, and the passes were open for regular traders to come through with all the things that were needed.

In the summer, they were sometimes able to splurge on non-essentials. They would buy a toy for Kíli, or something warm and soft and comforting for Bifur. Bofur would occasionally have a drink with his fellow miners in the public house.

When things were doing really well, Bombur would buy what he needed to make them treats. Butter wasn't too dear, and they could always make some with the milk they still got for Kíli. But spice had to come from far away, and they could get quite expensive. Bombur would mostly go for vanilla, because baked things were the best with vanilla.

Kíli associated times of plenty with shortbread. It kept well and was one of the things Bombur was more likely to make when he splurged on vanilla and butter.


	338. Groceries - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin accompanies Bell to the market for the first time.

It was an adventure going to the market with Bell for the first time. Thorin had gone with Dís on occasion and on his own often enough. But Bell didn't take a basket he could offer to carry. She had a cart that she wheeled along ahead of her.

Thorin had eyed it askance, and then with growing wonder as she filled it. Large bags of flour and sugar, potatoes and onions. Smaller bags of herbs. Lettuce and carrots and cucumbers, peppers and mushrooms and other greens he had no names for. Milk and cheese and butter were delivered, and Thorin was grateful for it. She stopped by the butcher and picked out almost half of a cow and a good dozen chickens.

And she paid everything without stopping to think about it. She had the money in her purse and brought it out. She noticed his amazement on the way home and laughed.

"Two meals are included in the rent for the rooms, Thorin," she pointed out. "I'm not just shopping for me."

"But so much... And the cost!"

She shrugged. "You all pay for it. It's included in the rent."

He shook his head. "I wonder that you have time to do anything but cook."

She laughed again, the unusual sound pealing like bells, and he wanted her to never stop.


	339. Ballad - The Space One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dwarves count time differently than other species.

Scattered as they were, Dwarves didn't count time the same way Men and Elves and Hobbits did. There was a need for common record keeping and estimations, records of how long it took to go from one place to another, when to count someone as an adult, when to celebrate feast days and fast day. So they created time. Not days, months, years. Those had little meaning in the places Dwarves lived, and even less to unite a scattered people. The created what could be translated to _minutes_ and _hours_. A group of fifteen hours was a unit comparable to a day. If they needed more than that, they counted groups of ten days, hundred days, thousand days. After a thousand, they would restart at one. (Much of this was adopted by the rest of the Alliance for common measurement, but Dwarves were still expected to use the Man made _year_ when on any surface - including their own homes.)

They still used their own timekeeping. They knew when, in the rounds of one thousand, to pause from their work and celebrate their continuity. They knew when to appreciate the miracle that they continued. They knew the times of long gone battles, won and lost.

And they knew when to mourn their lost homes. When the time came for that, they would retreat as a community to the deepest places they had, the places they could best hear the song of their new homes. And they would sing the songs of the homes that were lost. They would sing the ballads of their history, set to music they would only hear in these most sacred songs.


	340. Fire - The Space One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> candles are important, even on a ship.

Fire on a ship was a danger. It could easily go out of control, and it took precious oxygen that was needed by people.

But there were some things that went beyond (mostly outdated) safety concerns, and Thorin made sure that the necessary lights were there.

There was the beacon light. It was high up, hanging from the ceiling in his room (since it wasn't a Dwarf only ship), and he made sure it never went out. Every community had a beacon light - a light to bring the miners home, for the lost to watch for. Even in deep space, they kept the beacons burning.

Dwarves lit candles for feast days, the fire an essential part of life, the dancing flame representing joy. They also lit candles for fast days, the fire representing both destruction and hope.

And there were the candles he lit and set in the window of his room. They burned a full day, and then the candle pots - clear, heavy glass that wouldn't fall over - sat until they were needed again. He lit them to remember his grandparents, both dead in a battle against Orcs when he was young. He lit memory of his father, who had disappeared not long after. He lit memories of their lost homes, of fallen comrades, his brother and brother-in-law. They sat in the window so that when they were lit, on the anniversary of a loss, his loved ones would be able to find their way to him and not be lost in the dark.


	341. Decay - Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> erebor is not what Thorin remembers.

Thorium had not expected to see this place again. He had given it up as lost - probably before he settled in Bree. But if he was going to return, he could have wished that Bell's first view of what had once been his home was not what it was.

It was a husk of what it had been, and everywhere they went in it just reinforced that. The kitchens were filled with things long rotted (the wine was drinkable - had actually aged well, left all alone - but most things were not so lucky). They had explored homes and found that anything wooden or cloth was worm-eaten or dust. Metal was tarnished, often rusted. Fires had been left burning when they ran from the dragon, and much was destroyed that way. Ink was dried out, pens had never been cleaned and were thus unusable. Books hadn't been cared for and made them sneeze when they opened them.

He had dreamed for years of a triumphant return, and this was the reality that turned the cherished dream into nightmare. The dragon was gone, but the destruction it had wrought remained.


	342. Monopoly - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the Rangers have a monopoly on the Shire.

Thorin had never liked the idea of the Shire. He first learned of it when he was young and still in Erebor. Hearing of it, a lot of young Dwarves clamored to go, but Thorin had never been one of them.

He had been young, not nearly as knowledgeable in the ways of finances, economics, and trade as he would become. But even then, he looked at the information they had and knew it wasn't right.

Everything that went in or out of the Shire went through the Rangers. (It would be many years before he found out about Gandalf's tendency to waltz off with young Hobbits without the Rangers finding out.) People paid to enter the Shire and see its people. They paid more to go in and sell at a Hobbit market (in money and time, because _every item_ had to be examined by a Ranger before anything could go in).

Presumably, the Hobbits paid the Rangers for the "service" of protecting them. If they needed something from the outside, they paid a Ranger to get it for them.

And the Shire wasn't like the menagerie they had in Dale. They didn't need to feed and take care of Hobbits. They farmed and raised their own food. They were able to doctor themselves of many things. None of the money the Rangers got went back into the Shire.

What did they do with it? They went around in worn leathers and camouflage, and they claimed to only be simple people, protectors of the north. But there must have been a _fortune_ hidden somewhere in the wilds. And Thorin didn't trust someone who hid their true wealth.


	343. Lawyer - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> thorin on lawyers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here are previous pieces:  
> [Fíli goes to the prom](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1335373/chapters/2902849)  
> [Thorin fights for custody of his nephews](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3149962)  
> [Thorin Oakenshield is free](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3449702)  
> [Three times people were done](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3575459)  
> [Bofur gets beat up again](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1470961/chapters/3175739)  
> [Thrailís is assaulted by friends of his brother](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/3761203)  
> [Kíli meets a new girl in school](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/4684665)  
> [Kíli looks up to his uncle](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2359988/chapters/5326133)  
> [Nori proactively protects Asian women](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/6476804)  
> [Nori and Dwalin have an anniversary](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/6900539)  
> [Balin waits for a flight](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/6988208)  
> [Nori brings home a kitten](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/8064384)  
> [Cats like Dwalin](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/8832631)  
> [Ori runs away from home](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/8853382)  
> [Thorin answers a question](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1024357/chapters/9587907)

Growing up, Thorin hadn't had anything to do with lawyers. He did his best to avoid the judicial system, really. If he had reported any of the things done to him, the police would have ignored it, and if anyone reported his self defense he would have been arrested.

Once he left home, he didn't have much need for lawyers. He dealt with the paperwork he needed to for his jobs, but he didn't get into much, and he still steered clear of the law.

It was a lawyer who called to let him know Dís was dead. The ame lawyer met hm when he got there and told him that he was the named guardian for her sons. He was filled with panic and relief that his parents wouldn't get them, and sat for hours going over her small estate and the terms of her will.

It was a lawyer who called to inform him that Frerin and his parents were contesting his guardianship.

And that.... He needed to find a lawyer himself, because there was no way he could fight them alone. He talked to friends, found someone who was known to deal well with his community.

But still. He had to tell a stranger, on first acquaintance, how he and Dís and Frerin had grown up. He had to explain the things he and his sister had been forced to swallow as children, the roles and stereotypes that Frerin had accepted as truth, and that the boys _could not_ be made to have to live with. He had to disclose his status to someone he had never seen before. It was almost as terrifying as moving halfway across the country at eighteen with no friends, no job, and no prospects. But he had done that too.

The lawyer listened to everything. Then he nodded and asked for documentation of the will and any other legal papers Dís had filed. And Thorin breathed a sigh of relief.


	344. Flying - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo plans a vacation.

The first summer they had him, things were far too busy with the adoption to do any kind of travel. They had fun around town, visiting the market, making friends with the farm children and neighbors. And they settled in together, all of them as a household.

But Bilbo hadn't forgotten that they got Frodo because Saradoc just didn't want to bring him on vacation with his family. So he went into planning months in advance. They would be away for at least two weeks, he and Bifur and Frodo. Bombur and Bofur could easily watch the shop on their own, with Kíli to help out as he liked to do when he was able to.

They would start across the country at Disney Land and spend a day or two doing anything Frodo wanted. Then they would pick up a rental car and drive back home, stopping at anything that looked interesting on the way. They could go and see the Grand Canyon, or Yosemite National Park. They could stop at little, local attractions.

And it would all start with something Frodo had never done before. He'd been bounced from relative to relative, but they were all in the northeast, so it had meant lots of driving. They would start vacation with his very first airplane ride. When the boy heard they'd be flying, Bilbo wasn't sure if they'd get him to sleep in the time between the announcement and the trip.


	345. Missing- Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> amber doesn't know what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amber is about 8 when the quest starts.

Amber didn't think about her family much. Mama and Papa were there. There were the smartest and the strongest ever. They knew everything and could do everything. Calce and her brothers were always there as well. Calce hummed or sang a lot and was always busy with something - something that looked super boring to Amber but that Calce seemed to like doing, and when she was done there was always something pretty. The twins took care of Amber, and she liked to follow them around and see what mischief they were getting into and if she could do it too.

Perhaps she thought about Pearl more often. After two years she still wasn't sure what she thought of Pearl. Mama had been really sick for a long time, and then there was Pearl. Amber wasn't entirely sure what happened, but she knew that it had somehow been Pearl's fault. Besides, why did they need a new baby when they still had her? No, she still had a lot of thinking to do about Pearl.

Now she found herself thinking about her family a lot. She went to look for the twins, only to remember that they were gone. She bumped her head and wanted Mama to kiss it, but Mama was gone. She wanted to reach the cookie jar, but Uncle Dwalin was gone. She wanted a story, but Papa was gone.

Everywhere she turned, someone was missing. She was old enough to see how Aunt Dís and Calce were worried, and it made her want to run and shout and hit things. But Uncle Bofur, who always scooped her up and tickled and cuddled her until the feeling went away, was gone.

In the end, she didn't know how to deal with the feeling on her own. She sat in the middle of the hall between Uncle Dwalin's and Uncle Bofur's rooms and hoped that if she just waited nicely they'd all come home.


	346. New Direction - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they need a new idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and we come to the last of this round of prompts. I will sincerely try to work on writing even without this. Goodness knows, I have enough things to be working on... Feel free to nag or prompt (here or on [my tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/judayre).)
> 
> This occurs shortly before [this short](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2819297/chapters/6340508).

"You need to take it in a new direction," Fíli said as the three bent over their drinks.

Kíli nodded firm support. "He didn't respond when you were showing off on the quest..."

Ori blushed. "You knew that's what I was doing?"

" _He_ didn't, that's the important part, right?" Kíli shrugged. "And us singing your praises doesn't seem to be doing it either."

This time it was Fíli who nodded agreement. "He's definitely interested. One of these days he's going to forget whatever's holding him back, and you're going to be the reason we're dead and Mother murders Uncle and takes over his kingdom."

"You really think so?" Ori asked, eyes alight. "That he's interested? I mean, he could have anyone. He's the king, and a hero besides. And so well spoken and intelligent...." Her voice trailed off as she stared dreamily into the middle distance.

Kíli gagged. "Yes, he's interested. Now we just need to figure out how to get your together so I can stop having to listen to this. He's my _uncle_. This is positively _revolting_. I'll do anything to make it stop."

"Anything?" Ori asked, eyes sharp.

Fíli covered Kíli's mouth and answered quickly. "Whatever you're thinking, no."

It didn't make Ori's devilish smile dim.


	347. Proposal - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwalin proposes.

Sex with Nori was always good, and this time wasn’t an exception. They’d eaten - the remains of their special dinner still on the table. (“He denies it, but he’s completely a romantic.” Once again, Dori was proven right.) It was the anniversary of them moving in together. And that had done it.

Nori had asked about his present over dessert. There must be a present, he had said with wide eyes and a slight pout. The pout turned into a smirk and then a leer when Dwalin said that it was in the bedroom.

Sex with Nori was always good. But seeing him gilded by the setting August sun that peeped in the window…. Feeling the contrast of the sweat their activity brought up onto skin cooled by the air conditioner in the window…. Nori’s hair, long and red and parted to show the column of his throat, pale and just perfect for kissing…. The way he moaned Dwalin’s name and panted his desires…. The feel of him under and around him, body small and strong…. Dwalin knew Nori could take everything he could give, but he responded so well to the tender gentleness Dwalin was giving him.

And then Dwalin’s favorite part. Nori was never as cuddly as he was right after sex. So they spooned together in bed, wrapped in nothing but one another. Dwalin could feel Nori’s heartbeat under his palm, slowing to normal and then to relaxed and sleepy. He could feel the silk of Nori’s hair under his cheek where they leaned close together.

Oh, this was the perfect moment - a moment he wished he could catch under glass to look at whenever he wanted. A moment that he felt he could live in forever.

And he pressed closer, fingers squeezing Nori’s where they were twined together. He leaned in so they were practically cheek to cheek, and he could feel the way Nori was smiling. And in the perfection of the moment, the words came without a pause for thought.

“Nori, will you marry me?”

It wasn’t what he’d planned. The ring was still in his nightstand, and he’d painstakingly thought up a speech to use. But there was no way to take it back and do it as he’d planned.

Nori froze under him, breath catching, and Dwalin could feel his heartbeat speed again. "Yes,“ he said, voice small, turning wide, vulnerable eyes on him. "Yes, if you really want me.”

Dwalin cradled Nori’s cheek in one hand, pressing their foreheads together and kissing him. "If I really want you?“ he scoffed. "I love you, more than anything. I want us to be together forever.”

He could feel Nori’s tears against his fingers, and he leaned up and kissed his eyelids gently. He rearranged them face to face on the bed, cradling Nori close and warm within his arms. "I’m so happy here with you.“

Nori shivered and opened his eyes to look at Dwalin with tears and so much happiness. "I love you,” he breathed. And then, voice stronger, “yes, Dwalin. Yes, I’ll marry you.”


	348. Snuggles and Talking - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ori and Thorin talk after sex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not long after [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2819297/chapters/6340508).

Ori let her lips linger on Thorin’s, her fingers buried in obsidian and silver as she held him close. She opened them to a gentle swipe of his tongue, and she tasted herself on him. She shivered as a pang of desire tightened her belly again.

Thorin pulled away at her shiver, frowning to find himself tethered by her hands in his hair. His glance darted to the empty rounds of rope near her head on the bed.

Ori made her voice as self assured as she could manage through her breathlessness. “If I grew up with Nori and didn’t know how to free myself from restraints, I don’t deserve to be called the smart one.”

He smiled at her, the expression lightening his whole face in a way that made her breath catch. Then he took her hands in his own, kissing her fingers, her palms, her wrists. She stared at him. She had known of his gentleness, but to have it turned to her in such a way filled her with wonder.

“If you wish to bathe–”

“I don’t think I can stand right now.”

He sat back, eyes casting around until they lit on his pitcher and basin. He paused as he stood, seeing the rope still bound around her ankles, and shot her a questioning glance.

She took a breath, mustering her control to do her very best Dori impression (don’t think of Dori right now). “Those take more concentration than I had at the time.”

He blushed, and she took a sharp breath of delight as he freed her ankles. By the time he returned with the pitcher and a cloth he had mastered himself. Ori felt the gentlest of touches cleaning her and practically purred at the attention.

He climbed back into the bed when he finished, cradling her cheek and neck in one large hand. “Ori, you deserve–”

“I deserve exactly what I want,” she said sharply, trying to forestall the recrimination she heard building behind his voice again.

“And this is what you want?”

She had a sharp retort for that, but she was the smart one and she paused before giving it, hearing the uncertainty in his voice. “What I want,” she said slowly, considering everything she had ever thought of, “is something that you have to want too.”

He looked down at her and breathed out “marry me.”

She gaped. His snarling avowal that he wouldn’t keep her as his mistress had been endearing, but she hadn’t expected anything like this.

“Just because we–”

This time he was the one to cut her off. “No. Because you are smart. And beautiful, both inside and out. Because I don’t want another at my side. He took her hands again and her fingers curled as he kissed the sensitive insides of her wrists. "Marry me, Ori?”

Tears pricked her eyes and there could only be one answer. “Yes.”


	349. Generosity - Line of Durin

“Hey! I was gonna eat that!”

Bifur looked up at the sulking face of the whining boy, then down at the kale he had just served himself. Kíli didn’t like the bitter, dark leaf. He held out the plate.

Kíli was suddenly smiles again. "That’s okay. You can have it.“

Holding in a laugh, Bifur signed his thanks for the boy’s ‘generosity.’


	350. Secrets - The Space One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwalin and Nori share secrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post Knives

It was dark, the dark of being under rock and safe. They had been there long enough so that their eyes had somewhat adjusted, but seeing someone else was just seeing shadows among shadows. It was a darkness that lent itself to lovers and secrets, and having been stated by his lover it was no wonder Nori’s mind turned to confidences.

“Tell me a secret,” he said, snuggling closer into Dwalin’s arms.

“You have the nicest ass on Harlond,” Dwalin answered, groping it.

Nori giggled, wriggling under the touch. "That’s hardly a secret,“ he protested.

"How many have seen it?”

“More than you want to know about.” Nori lay his head on Dwalin’s shoulder, close enough to give his neck a light kiss. "Tell me a secret.“

"I ate a whole pie once and blamed it on my brother.” 

Nori could hear the grin in Dwalin’s voice, and punched him. "A secret.“

Dwalin stilled, finally hearing the real desire for secrets in Nori’s voice. He stroked the other man’s back, the touch soothing. When he spoke again, his voice was low to match the darkness and the confidences.

"When I was young, I never thought I would be truly happy. My mother would have said I was a happy child, but I never– thought the future would work, if you know what I mean.”

“Why not?” Nori asked, petting Dwalin’s chest and stomach.

“I wanted a family, but everyone said I was a fighter, or a worker, but never that I would be a good husband or father. And when I got older, the ones I was attracted to weren’t the ones who wanted families. They usually weren’t the ones who wanted me, either. Too big, too rough. Too many of them didn’t want to find out what was under the surface.”

Nori considered his own early impressions. A peacekeeper, and an honest one. But willing to go against them to protect a boy he didn’t know. He had been gentle where it wasn’t expected, had taken excellent care of Ori. "They were all stupid,“ he said finally, and was pleased that Dwalin laughed a real laugh at that.

"I’m happy with you,” he said, and Nori wriggled again, too pleased to be still. "And now it’s your turn to tell a secret.“

Nori leaned close, voice barely a whisper. He was glad he’d asked first, because now he knew what to expect. "You’re going to have a family.”


	351. Marry Me - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ThorinOri. Aftermath of [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2819297/chapters/6340508).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Realized last night that is haven't cross posted here and Tumblr in almost a year. To the 81 with user subscriptions (I love you!), I am very sorry. There will be a lot of notes of my updates today.

Ori let her lips linger on Thorin’s, her fingers buried in obsidian and silver as she held him close. She opened them to a gentle swipe of his tongue, and she tasted herself on him. She shivered as a pang of desire tightened her belly again.

Thorin pulled away at her shiver, frowning to find himself tethered by her hands in his hair. His glance darted to the empty rounds of rope near her head on the bed.

Ori made her voice as self assured as she could manage through her breathlessness. “If I grew up with Nori and didn’t know how to free myself from restraints, I don’t deserve to be called the smart one.”

He smiled at her, the expression lightening his whole face in a way that made her breath catch. Then he took her hands in his own, kissing her fingers, her palms, her wrists. She stared at him. She had known of his gentleness, but to have it turned to her in such a way filled her with wonder.

“If you wish to bathe–”

“I don’t think I can stand right now.”

He sat back, eyes casting around until they lit on his pitcher and basin. He paused as he stood, seeing the rope still bound around her ankles, and shot her a questioning glance.

She took a breath, mustering her control to do her very best Dori impression (don’t think of Dori right now). “Those take more concentration than I had at the time.”

He blushed, and she took a sharp breath of delight as he freed her ankles. By the time he returned with the pitcher and a cloth he had mastered himself. Ori felt the gentlest of touches cleaning her and practically purred at the attention.

He climbed back into the bed when he finished, cradling her cheek and neck in one large hand. “Ori, you deserve–”

“I deserve exactly what I want,” she said sharply, trying to forestall the recrimination she heard building behind his voice again.

“And this is what you want?”

She had a sharp retort for that, but she was the smart one and she paused before giving it, hearing the uncertainty in his voice. “What I want,” she said slowly, considering everything she had ever thought of, “is something that you have to want too.”

He looked down at her and breathed out “marry me.”

She gaped. His snarling avowal that he wouldn’t keep her as his mistress had been endearing, but she hadn’t expected anything like this.

“Just because we–”

This time he was the one to cut her off. “No. Because you are smart. And beautiful, both inside and out. Because I don’t want another at my side. He took her hands again and her fingers curled as he kissed the sensitive insides of her wrists. "Marry me, Ori?”

Tears pricked her eyes and there could only be one answer. “Yes.”


	352. Rocky Horror - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New Modern AU - Nori wants to take Dwalin out.

“Come on. Dress up in it! For me?” Nori wheedled, holding out the hanger.

“Dress up in what? There’s nothing to it,” Dwalin answered, eyeing her tiny girlfriend in a supposedly matching outfit from the fishnets and heels, past the tiny miniskirt and strapless corset, and up to the ridiculous bow tie around her throat.

“That’s the pooooiint,” Nori whined. "You can’t go to Rocky Horror fully dressed!“

The way the small woman wriggled in her annoyance was arresting. "I’ll never be able to keep my hands off you if you’re wearing that.”

The annoyance vanished, immediately replaced by pleased preening. Dwalin smiled fondly at the simple vanity of her girlfriend. And the nNori was plastered against her, straining her arms around Dwalin’s larger frame.

“That’s also part of Rocky Horror,” she said with a leer.


	353. Chanukah - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori and Dwalin celebrate their first Chanukah together.

I had already decided that the Durin family in the modern au was Jewish. :)

Nori generally thought of himself as a lapsed nothing. He couldn’t remember his parents being at all religious, and after they died he’d gone through several years of barely believing in himself let alone some invisible creator. He knew some people found religion when they were going clean, but he couldn’t say that himself. He had Dori and Ori. What better guardian angels did you need?

They’d never put up a Christmas tree, but they’d never lit a menorah either. They’d never fasted for Ramadan, put out kites for significant year birthdays, put out lights for Diwali. They barely celebrated Thanksgiving.

It was different being involved with Dwalin. He didn’t keep kosher or go to Saturday services all that much, but Dwalin was Jewish and proud of it. He was invited to the family’s Seder for Passover and stuffed full of so much food he didn’t think he’d be able to walk for days.

And he came home November 27 to find the lights low and the smell of frying all through the apartment. One brawny arm wrapped around him, leading him farther in where he saw Dwalin’s menorah - a big, old thing that was real silver and had been brought from Europe by a grandmother. Dwalin had obviously taken some time with it, because it had been polished until it shone.

There were candles in it and a small, wrapped box next to it.

“I didn’t get you anything,” he said in sudden worry.

Dwalin shushed him with a kiss. "I’m sure you’ll think of something,“ he said, arm sliding down so he could palm Nori’s ass.

Nori laughed, his own arms sliding familiarly around Dwalin’s neck. "You just want the obvious? I’ll have to get creative so it’s not ordinary on a holiday.”

Dwalin’s breath hitched and he kissed Nori once again, kissed him breathless, before drawing him to the table. Nori nestled into Dwalin’s side, listening as he chanted the prayers, deep voice smooth through the Hebrew. He looked at the light of the candles and felt - not belief, but a contentment that was even better.


	354. Daughter - You Can Only Go Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Óin takes care of children and gets to keep one.

judayre  
tea-ess asked:  
Some fluff in the 'you can only go up' verse?

Not a fluffy as it could be, but there needed to be more Óin.

Óin had been told he had the bedside manner of an angry wolverine. This did not bother him. He was a doctor. It was his job to heal people, not to coddle him. That was a job for parents, after all, and Óin was happy to say that he was in no way parental. He was married to his work and had never felt a stirring for love or children.

He had always hated Orcs - of course he had! he was a Dwarf! - but seeing the freed Dwarf slaves at the end of Dwalin’s mission made him hate them more. The ones who stared into nothing and just did as they were told were devastating, as was the way the others stayed away from them. Dwarves were meant to be in groups, not alone.

And then he discovered that there were parentless children. Oh, that filled him with rage. He sought them out, working as subtly as he could to find them and get close to them. They were scrawny, suspicious things with ragged hair and almost feral eyes. He persisted, because he was a doctor, a healer to the core. He didn’t coddle - that was a parent’s job - but it seemed his brusqueness was something they could start to trust. Doting was too unfamiliar and would have driven them into hiding.

And when Balin said that the slaves needed homes, Óin reluctantly opened his home. The children needed proper parents, and he said as much, but he could shelter them. He fed them, taught them to put braids into hair that was growing scraggly long, got them proper clothes.

Even after they left him, they would run up to him in the street to show off new baubles, new braids. They would tell him about their new families, carefully reciting names and ties that every Dwarf should have.

Finally it was down to Nîn - maybe 25 and dark and fierce as a winter storm - and she refused to leave.

It surprised everyone to see the myriad small braids carefully plaited into her dark hair. They proclaimed her beloved. They proclaimed her daughter. And she walked with head held high and her hand securely in Óin’s.


	355. Hiking - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwalin wants to go hiking in the middle of winter. Nori isn't sure why he agreed.

Combined nicely with an older braidedribbon prompt.

Nori should never have listened to Dwalin. A leisurely hike had sounded nice, a good way to get away from family and find secluded places to jump him. He hadn’t realized that when Dwalin had invited him on a hike he’d meant a week long one. He also hadn’t realized that he’d meant to do it the next week. A midwinter hike through mountains didn’t sound like a good idea to anyone with half a brain.

Unfortunately for Nori, he was dating someone without half a brain. Even more unfortunately, he couldn’t say no to his boyfriend. Did that mean he also had less than half a brain? Probably.

It had actually been nice for most of the first day. The air was clear, if cold, and the walking kept them warm. Dwalin was carrying most of their things, and because it was a winter hike there weren’t many people around. They held hands most of the day and didn’t worry about how far they’d gone.

It started snowing near evening and didn’t let up. It kept snowing, and it got harder and harder. They were soaked through and shivering by the time they found the lodge, abandoned for the season but not locked.

Dwalin started a fire and they both stripped down, wrapping themselves in the blankets that were packed in mothballs for the winter. They made a pot of coffee - their own - and a pot of beans that had been left because canned goods lasted damn near forever, and listened to the wind while they ate.

“Looks like we’ll be trapped for a while,” Dwalin said after they finished. "At least we’re safe.“

Nori snorted. "We’re in an abandoned lodge in the middle of nowhere. Sure, you’re totally right, nothing bad could ever happen here.”

Dwalin laughed at him. "There’s food and blankets, and we brought plenty of water. We can have a nice vacation - just the two of us. We’ll be back in civilization soon enough.”

And really, how could he argue that? Although he still had to have the last word. So while he climbed into Dwalin’s lap he murmured “if a yeti eats me, I’ll never forgive you.”


	356. Weapons and Tools - Zoo AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori gets a lesson in using tools.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nwalin Week Day 3 - Weapons and Tools

The first time Nori met Dwalin he was a young thief who had been convinced to go to a self defense training. Ori was still starry eyed about warriors and had begged shamelessly. He stood at one end of the line of mostly Dwarves, not expecting much, but curious.

Dwalin looked them over, with none of the sneering displeasure Nori heard of from all of his friends who had any weapon training. “You won’t see any guns or swords here,” he started (and yes, Nori had noticed that). “A weapon like that is only good if you own one, and it just makes you a target anyway. Better to use the weapons you have around you.”

“We don’t have weapons,” one of the Dwarves protested. “That’s what we’re here for.”

Dwalin stood in front of him. “What do you do?”

“I’m a miner,” the Dwarf said, shifting uncomfortably.

Dwalin raised a brow. “Smash rock all day with a pick and you’ve never thought what it could do to flesh?”

Apparently he hadn’t, but neither had the others, and Nori had to include himself in that.

“Every tool is a weapon if you use it right,” Dwalin said, pacing the line up slowly. “A miner’s pick can bring down the rock on you or split your head open as well as an axe. A smith’s hammer can break your arm if you’re unwary. You. What to you do?”

He stopped in front of a Dwarf who pulled himself up and answered “Carpenter.”

Dwalin nodded. “Saws and hammers do good damage.” He looked at the next in line.

“Seamstress.”

“Scissors and needles are sharp. Thread can make tripwires or be used as stranglers’ cord. Fabric dropped over someone’s head can blind them long enough to get away, and you always have something to use for binding prisoners or wounds.”

“Mechanic,” said the next.

“A whole shop full of blunt instruments.”

“Farmer,” said a dispossessed Hobbit, raising his chin defiantly.

Dwalin just nodded. “I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong end of a scythe or pitchfork.” He continued down the line, and Nori saw people thinking differently as he spoke to them. He got to Ori, the boy trying to make himself bigger and practically vibrating with eagerness, and Nori prayed that Dwalin would say something encouraging.

“Writer,” Ori said, still young enough that his voice cracked.

“Not so much use in a fight,” Dwalin said with a smile, “although I’ve seen a well placed word save lives.” He must have seen Ori’s disappointment, because he continued talking. “But communication is important in a fight. Keeping a group together and aware of a goal is vital and someone who can read and write well is always good to have.”

Ori beamed, and Nori smiled as well as Dwalin looked at him. “Politician,” he said with a smirk.

“Oh, a thief,” Dwalin said, and for a moment Nori’s heart stopped. But he continued, “a politician needs to be able to read people and situations fast and accurately. Your tools aren’t so much things as the people around you.” He stepped back to address the whole group again. “And you all have the most important tool. Your brains. Someone who can’t think is useless in a fight.”

Nori stayed through the session. He picked up a few tricks that helped him. More important, he swiftly gained a reputation among thieves for finding unconventional uses for the things around him and an ability to use anything as a weapon - especially people.


	357. At Home and On The Road - ChallengeShorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwalin and Nori are constantly misunderstood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nwalin Week Day 2 - At Home and On The Road  
> New Modern AU

It was the same whenever they went anywhere. People looked at Dwalin - her big, beautiful girlfriend, with her strong arms, her amazing curves, her nearly bald head - and saw a man. They saw a black man in a leather jacket with a small Asian woman behind him on his motorcycle, and they thought they knew everything based in that first glance. Even when they realized Dwalin was a woman - and some of them never did! - it didn’t change what they thought they knew. She’d had so many people offer her numbers of domestic abuse hotlines that she knew what they would say almost by heart.

It was different at home. Dwalin was gentle with her strength, making Nori feel safe. She was sweet and romantic, and she always had some little gift - a piece of candy, a shiny rock, a swift kiss - when she’d been out alone. And Nori was hardly the submissive pet they thought she was. It was often Nori who initiated rough play, Nori who got in more trouble, Nori who couldn’t cook with Gordon Ramsey himself there to instruct her.

So at home they sat in the couch and watched tv - or perhaps they didn’t watch tv some days. And when they were in the road, Nori was the quiet little Asian girl - especially when she was working over the local card sharp at every stop they made - and Dwalin was the angry black woman (who left the biggest tips and brought food out to homeless people).


	358. Injury and Comfort - Challenge Shorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori knows something is wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nwalin Week Day 5 - Injury and Comfort  
> Fem!Dwalin

She was injured. Not physically, maybe - Óin had tended them all when they’d got down from the Carrock - but Nori could see hurt in the set of Dwalin’s shoulders as she stalked away from the fire and her brother. Bakin let her go, and that was another sign - he never could deal with her when she was upset.

So Nori followed, approaching silently behind her and kissing her shoulder. “Hello, Gorgeous.”

She looked at him without a word and he knew. He had seen that look in Dori’s eyes in many towns of Men. It was anger and pain. Vulnerability. Fear.

Nori pressed close, feeling all of the strength of her against him. He reached up, petting her scars and the rasp of her cheeks, caressing the tattoos on her bald head. And he kissed her softly, soothing her desperation with all of himself.


	359. Flirting and Fighting - Fem!Nori

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is it one or the other? Maybe both.

Dwalin leaned in, pressing Nori against the wall, holding the staff between them. “Got you,” he gloated.

“You wish you do,” Nori purred, sliding out of the hold with ease. Using her own staff, she took his legs out from under him, sitting on his hips and pressing the butt of the staff into his throat. “Perhaps I have you.” She leaned down, hand never wavering on the staff. “I’ll have you for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But first you have to concede.”

Dwalin considered. She had probably cheated, and it galled him. But his eyes swept over her confident smirk, and he felt her on top of him. “You win,” he decided.


	360. Wedding and Anniversary - the Space One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dori's wedding is their anniversary.

The wedding had been everything it could be hoped for. Dori had done all of the planning with Samur on her hip - the music, the food, the clothes. She had looked gorgeous, of course, and Bifur had been very distinguished in her dress uniform. She was still allowed to wear it even though she hadn’t been in the Fleet for years. They held Samur between them as they spoke their vows, and their families and community celebrated with them.

It was almost enough to make Nori want to be the next. She felt the fluttering of what was growing inside her, still a secret to all except Dwalin, and she considered what standing under a canopy together might feel like. But more than a canopy, tonight she wanted to be under the covers. There was something about a wedding night that made everyone reach for their loved ones, and she had Dwalin right where she wanted him.

She laughed as he pulled her close, one big hand pressed to her belly. “It’s our anniversary, you know,” she said.

“We have an anniversary?” Dwalin asked, kissing her. “Don’t you have to be married for that?”

“You don’t,” Nori answered, turning her face up for more kisses while she ran her hands happily over the hard muscle of his arms and chest. “A year ago today a member of the peacekeepers told me to break my brother out of jail. Today is the anniversary of when we first had sex.”

Dwalin stilled. “Does it have to be that one? You didn’t trust me and I felt like it was coerced. Why can’t it be when everything finished, when we were celebrating?”

“That won’t be for months,” Nori whined, taken with the idea that they had an anniversary.

“Give me time to make you a proper present.”

Nori lay herself down on top of him, widening her eyes to innocence as she wriggled and felt him harden against her. “Does that mean you don’t want my present now?” she asked.

His teeth flashed white in the dimness and he smoothed both calloused hands down her back to hold her rear. “Shouldn’t let the married couple have all the fun,” he said, leaning up to kiss her.


	361. Seeing Forever - Life Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The company looks over Rhovanion in the early spring.

You could see everything from the top of a mountain. From the tops of the Blue Mountains, you could see all the way to the Misty Mountains in one direction, and in the other you could see the sea. Other young Dwarves had made fun of Fíli when he was small, joking that he was part Elf or part bird, or anything but a proper Dwarf to want to go high and higher. With only one eye, everything seemed flat. But from the top of Erebor you could see forever.

There were days Kíli didn’t want to get into the bath. After half drowning to escape Elves, and then being caught on a lake for days, he felt that he had had enough of water to last a lifetime. Rain was different, though. And feeling gentle rain on him as he stood out on a terrace overlooking all of Rhovanion from the top of Erebor…. Knowing that he and his brother and all of his people were safe…. The water from the sky and the water from his eyes met and mingled on his cheeks.

Thorin had brought a brazier up to the terrace and lit a fire in it hours before the others got there. The boys had protested, of course, but he could still look at them and see them too still on medical cots. They were boys still, who he could remember holding in one hand. He built the fire to keep them warm, his duty to them more important than anything else.

He wasn’t sure he had ever spent so long inside a mountain, but Nori had appreciated it in the winter after the quest and the battle. With a mixture of Dwarves and Men filling halls that were still not what they had been, he had plenty to do - both as a spy and as a pickpocket. It wasn’t until being dragged to the top of the mountain that he realized how much he had missed the outside. The wind blew enough that they were all happy to have a fire nearby. Nori closed his eyes and listened to the wind.

Dwalin was by nature a practical man. The beauty of land rolling out around them didn’t hold him. It wasn’t like they ruled whatever the light touched or something ridiculous like that. They owned what was beneath their feet, what all Dwarves had been gifted at the birth of their race. And that was what interested him more. While the princes gazed all around them and Nori did whatever it was he did, Dwalin crouched at the edge of the terrace and looked down. The mountain had been lost to them for more than a century, and you never knew when a landslide could undo all of their hard work.

Silk felt like water against his skin, smooth and liquid, and Dori had almost gotten used to wearing it. But standing above Erebor he knew that it was almost and would never quite be complete. Because the wind and the rain felt better than silk and they always would.

His laughter rang out over all of Rhovanion. Bofur, storyteller that he was, couldn’t find the words to describe the moment. He had used his voice and his words to make friends, to win a family. They had never failed him before. But here he was, seemingly at the top of the world, at a place where earth met sky and fire met water, where all of the elements combined to bring them this view of everything. This feeling that they were alone in the world and the masters of everything. And all he could do was wonder and laugh.

Balin was steel, forged in dragon fire, tempered in war. He had grown older and harder, his edge keener. He had lived his life as a battle, steel in his core winning him the battles and small skirmishes of a life of exile. And here he stood in the home of his childhood. Here he stood, in the cool air of an early spring sunrise, and he could almost hear the ping of the cool rain hitting the hot steel of his body.

Erebor was warm, a thing Glóin rarely said. He was naturally cool and often complained of cold. Had when he was young and there had been enough to throw more wood on the fire or wrap another blanket around him. Said less when he was older. The cold was more desperate, but there was less that could be done about it. He stood near the brazier, grateful that Thorin had brought it. He looked into the glow of the fire and considered that this was the first time he’d been cold in months.

Ori sat, feet hanging over miles of nothing. His books were open and his fingers splashed with ink as he feverishly drew what was in front of him. It was as good as a map at this height, and more beautiful than anything. He heard Bofur’s laughter and somehow knew what it was about, because he felt he would have to make up words to describe it.

The sun rose and everything shattered. Bifur could pick out the light bent through each of the raindrops - infinite star bursts. He followed them with his eyes, rainbows and scattered light surrounding everyone.

A whole winter underground and somehow Bilbo hadn’t realized how much he missed sunlight until that moment. Wrapped in Thorin’s furs and close at his side, get about how light was reflected throughout the mountain kingdom until he hadn’t noticed a lack. But standing higher than ever - and clinging to Thorin for stability - he closed his eyes and just felt the sunlight on his face.

From their height, Óin could hardly tell that spring had only just begun. There was a shimmer over the land, the first green of spring. Óin was not a sentimental man, but a line of poetry had stuck with him for years and he was only just understanding it. "Nature’s first green is gold,“ he murmured, watching rays of the sun light up the world.

Bombur kept one eye in Bifur, knowing that at times he lost his sense of place and not wanting Fíli’s outing to end with death. Bofur had half climbed him, which Bombur put up with because some things you just expect of a brother. He kept a hand on him to keep him steady. And while he started by admiring the view, his gaze had turned by the time the sun had cleared the distant horizon. His friends - almost like his own family - sharing the small space. Each lost in their own hidden thoughts - lost in one another in some cases. Each face at peace and in smiles. Bodies relaxed as he hadn’t truly seen in ages. Bombur felt his own smile blossom as he thought his secret thoughts. He made sure his family was secure, and let the peace of the moment enter him as well.


	362. Lab Partners - Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thranduil didn't want to take a lab science.

Thranduil looked at the supplies on the table in disgust. He was a business major. Why was a lab science a general education requirement? He had sat down next to his roommate, who was at least familiar, but he hated the idea of getting his hands dirty and said as much.

"At least it's chemistry," Arathorn said with a shrug.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Thranduil demanded caustically.

"If it was bio, we'd have to do dissections," Arathorn pointed out and they both shuddered. "At least this way if we get bored we can blow something up."

"What?" Thranduil asked, his voice rising.

"Chemicals," Arathorn answered as though Thranduil were stupid. "Just mix things until kaboom."

Thranduil's head dropped into his hands. Not only was he in a class he already hated, but the likelihood of living through his first semester of college had just halved.


End file.
